YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in the country's lower house of parliament on Sunday after defeating her two rival candidates in a by-election in her constituency, the main opposition party said.
Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party announced at its headquarters that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi had won in Kawhmu, south of the commercial capital Yangon.
"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has won. The NLD candidate has taken the Kawhmu constituency," an NLD official announced to cheers from hundreds of supporters, referring to Suu Kyi by her honorific title.
Suu Kyi, who has spent a total of 15 years in detention since 1989, was contesting an election for the first time following her party's decision to end its boycott of a political system dominated by serving or retired military.
The by-elections were being held to fill 45 vacant legislative seats.
Myanmar's Election Commission has yet to verify any by-election results.
(Reporting by Aung Hla Tun; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Jason Szep)
