Editing Myanmar (section)

=== Political culture ===
The major political parties are the [[National League for Democracy]] and the [[Union Solidarity and Development Party]].

Myanmar's army-drafted constitution was approved in a [[2008 Burmese constitutional referendum|referendum]] in May 2008. The results, 92.4% of the 22 million voters with an official turnout of 99%, are considered suspect by many international observers and by the National League of Democracy with reports of widespread [[Electoral fraud|fraud]], ballot stuffing, and voter intimidation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-33587120080515 |title=Reuters, Cyclone-hit Myanmar says 92 percent back charter |work=Reuters |date=15 May 2008 |access-date=17 April 2010 |archive-date=10 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110185048/http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-33587120080515 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[2010 Myanmar general election|elections of 2010]] resulted in a victory for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. Various foreign observers questioned the fairness of the elections.<ref name="nyt-un-doubt-fairness-of-election"/><ref>{{cite news |author=Jha, Lalit K |url=http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15692 |title=2010 Burmese Election may be Illegitimate: Clinton |work=The Irrawaddy |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=15 May 2013 |archive-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110164549/http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15692 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11707294 |title=Western states dismiss Burma's election |publisher=BBC |date=8 November 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010 |archive-date=11 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111021602/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11707294 |url-status=live }}</ref> One criticism of the election was that only government-sanctioned political parties were allowed to contest in it and the popular [[National League for Democracy]] was declared illegal.<ref name=guardianASSK>{{cite news|last=Tisdall|first=Simon|title=Aung San Suu Kyi has to tread softly&nbsp;– but governments must tell it like it is|date=4 July 2011|work=The Guardian |location=UK|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jul/04/aung-san-suu-kyi-burmese}}</ref> However, immediately following the elections, the government ended the house arrest of the democracy advocate and leader of the National League for Democracy, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]],<ref>{{cite news|author=Walker, Peter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/12/aung-san-suu-kyi-burma-release |title=Guardian report on Aung's release from house arrest |work=The Guardian |access-date=1 September 2012 |location=London |date=12 November 2010}}</ref> and her ability to move freely around the country is considered an important test of the military's movement toward more openness.<ref name=guardianASSK />