Burmese pro-democracy leader ‘will not vote’ in November 7 election

Lawyer Nyan Win explained how although her name was on a voters' list, she would not take part in a poll organised by the military.

Suu Kyi's party had won a landslide victory in the last election in 1990 but the junta had annulled the result, and kept her in near continuous detention.

The poll was seen by many as “a sham that will just cement the military's power”.

Some 25% of seats were guaranteed under the new constitution for the military, which meant unelected military officers will sit in parliament.

The government had also founded its own political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, headed by the incumbent prime minister.

Sui Kyi was currently under house arrest and was at first excluded from the electoral roll. About 2,000 other activists were also still detained.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) had already decided to disband to avoid having to expel Suu Kyi and other detainees under strict electoral laws.

Suu Kyi’s decision not to vote might further encourage other NLD supporters to follow her lead on election day.