Burma has been placed under a 90-day state of emergency after holding its first election in 20 years. The state of emergency prevents political gatherings and stops soldiers from leaving the military for three months. It is part of a campaign by Burma's junta turned political party to limit fallout from yesterday's election, which was held under strict controls. Results may not be known for a day or more, but at least one ethnic politician has apparently won a seat in Shan state. The ruling junta will easily retain power - it is the only party standing in all seats and one-quarter of the parliament is reserved for the military. The junta also banned Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party and some ethnic groups were barred from voting. An opposition call for an election boycott seems to have had an impact, with some reports of voter turnout as low as 35 per cent in some areas. The elections have been universally condemned as a sham. United States president Barack Obama says the voting is neither free nor fair and is calling for the release of Ms Suu Kyi.
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