Political transition and trends
When the SLORC came to power, it promised to supervise a return to civilian rule once the situation became normal and law and order prevailed. It allowed political parties to be formed to contest the elections. The general election was held on 27 May 1990 and was regarded as fair by most observers. The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (DASSK, the daughter of the late Aung San), won 392 seats out of 485, though she herself was then under house arrest. Subsequently, the NLD called for a prompt transfer of power. The SLORC responded by announcing on 27 July 1990 that the elected representatives would be responsible only for drafting a new constitution but could not form a government. From then onwards the military government and the opposition groups – the NLD, its allied parties, expatriate dissidents, and an alliance of rebels and exiles called the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB) – have been at odds over the nature of the political transition, with the NLD holding on to its election victory as the mandate to govern Myanmar. The United States, Britain and other Western countries supported the opposition’s call for the military to transfer power to the NLD and return to the barracks. They also punished the government by imposing economic sanctions, banning armament sales and denying entry visas to senior government and military officials.