DHAKA: Votes are being counted in Myanmar's first openly contested national election for 25 years.

Turnout is thought to have been 80% in the poll - seen as a further big step away from decades of military rule, reports BBC.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is expected to win the most parliamentary seats, although she is barred from the presidency.

The military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) has been in power since 2011.

Voting was generally smooth, observers say, with some isolated irregularities.

Crowds of excited supporters appeared outside NLD headquarters in Yangon as darkness fell, apparently expecting the hear results. Instead a party official read out a message urging them to calmly wait at home.

The first official results are expected to be issued from 09:00 local time (02:30 GMT) on Monday.

As polls opened on Sunday, long queues formed at some polling booths, with reports of people waiting from before dawn.

Smiling voters emerged after casting their ballots, some displaying fingers stained with purple - the official sign that they had voted.

BDST: 0821 HRS, NOV 09, 2015
RS