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 Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) had been expected
take control of parliament since Sunday's nationwide vote, and
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. President
Barack Obama had already congratulated her on a landmark victory in
the country's first free election in 25 years.
Obama and Ban also praised Myanmar President Thein Sein for
successfully staging the historic poll, with the UN chief
acknowledging his "courage and vision" to organize an election in
which the ruling camp was trounced.
Results have been trickling in since the weekend, and on Friday the
election commission announced the latest batch of seats that pushed
the NLD over the threshold to secure an absolute majority in
parliament.
The triumph of the charismatic Nobel peace prize laureate sweeps out
an old guard of former generals that has run Myanmar, also known as
Burma, since Thein Sein ushered in a raft of democratic and economic
reforms four years ago.
 Speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House deputy national
security adviser Ben Rhodes noted broad participation by Myanmar's
people and a commitment by its rulers to abide by the result.
"This is in many ways a momentous opportunity for the people of
Burma," Rhodes said. "We had been very focused on this election. It
is a critical milestone in evaluating Burma's democratic
transition."
Rhodes said Obama would meet with the Myanmar president, along with
other regional leaders, during his Asia trip this month.
Obama has visited Myanmar twice over the past three years, hoping to
make its transition to democracy a foreign policy legacy of his
presidency.
In a call with Suu Kyi, Obama "commended her for her tireless
efforts and sacrifice over so many years to promote a more
inclusive, peaceful and democratic Burma", the White House said.
Thein Sein, whose semi-civilian government took power when the
ruling junta stepped aside in 2011, and powerful army chief Min Aung
Hlaing said they would respect the result and hold reconciliation
talks with Suu Kyi soon.
Such unambiguous endorsements of Suu Kyi's victory could smooth the
lengthy post-election transition ahead of the last session of the
old parliament, which reconvenes on Monday.
 MUCH HARD WORK
While the election and two months of campaigning in the run-up were
largely peaceful, global leaders stressed that a large number of
people - estimated by some rights activists at around 4 million -
were unable to cast their ballots.
"He is regretfully aware that a large number of voters from minority
communities, in particular the Rohingya, were denied the right to
vote and some were disqualified as candidates," Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.
"There is much hard work that remains ahead on Myanmar's democratic
journey and toward making future elections truly inclusive."
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Myanmar's government has denied Rohingya Muslims citizenship, and
hundreds died in clashes between Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine
Buddhists in 2012. Some 140,000 Rohingya live in squalid camps,
while thousands more have fled by boat, leading to a regional
migration crisis.
Suu Kyi has been criticized for not speaking out against abuses
faced by the Muslim minority. The Rohingya situation will be one of
the most contentious issues the new government will face.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
With Suu Kyi's victory confirmed, the focus will quickly shift to
NLD's presidential candidate and its plans for government.
Myanmar's president runs the executive, with the exception of the
powerful ministries of interior, defense and border security, which
are controlled by the military.
Under the indirect electoral system, the upper house, lower house,
and military bloc in parliament each put forward a presidential
candidate. The combined houses then vote on the three candidates,
who do not have to be elected members of parliament.
The winner becomes president and forms a government, while the
losers become vice presidents with largely ceremonial
responsibilities.
With the latest results from the election commission, Suu Kyi's
majority in the lower house is big enough to give the NLD an overall
majority in the joint chambers.
The vote for the presidency will take place after the new members
take their seats in both houses in February. The president will
assume power by the end of March.
Suu Kyi is barred from becoming president by the junta-drafted
constitution because her children are foreign nationals.
She has become increasingly defiant on the presidential clause as
the scale of her victory has become apparent, making it clear she
will run the country regardless of who the NLD elects as president.
"He will have no authority. He will act in accordance with the
decisions of the party," said Suu Kyi in an interview with Channel
News Asia, adding that the president would be "told exactly what he
can do."
(Writing by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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