On 8 November the Burmese people will go to the polls in the most democratic elections Myanmar has seen in decades. The last openly democratic elections in 1990 were won by the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, but stolen by the military which refused to accept the choice of the people. Many observers say that her (NLD) party will win on Sunday, taking the country further from the grasp of one the world’s most reclusive military regimes. Despite such optimism, considerable obstacles remain, even if the NLD sweeps to power. A quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for the army, as are the most powerful ministerial portfolios.Most importantly, Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency due to a constitutional provision, drafted by the army, that excludes those with foreign children from the office.

In will be interesting to see whether Aung San Suu Kyi still carries the same love she held in 1990; especially as the Burmese are feeling the benefits of a reformist government that has brought in foreign business. With most international sanctions gone, modern buildings now rise up in Yangon and a growing middle-class drive Mercedes cars through the capital. Sim cards, which less than 10 years ago cost about $3,000, are now $3 with 3G internet. Much of this has been credited to the ruling USDP.