Suu Kyi’s political rubber to hit the road: expert

Burma's commitment to democratic reform will be tested when Aung San Suu Kyi takes her seat in Parliament next week, according to a leading Burma expert from The Australian National University. Nicholas Farrelly from the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific said that on 23 April 2012 Aung San Suu Kyi and 40 of her colleagues from Burma's National League for Democracy (NLD) are expected to take their seats in the national Parliament. "These opposition politicians, elected earlier in the month, carry the hopes of millions of Burmese voters," said Farrelly.  "This is what we have been waiting for. Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD will now be real deal politicians. It is the moment when their rubber will finally hit the road. "After more than two decades in the wilderness, Burma's exemplar of democratic struggle gets a chance to show what she can do as an elected leader," he said. Farrelly added that expectations will be high and that Suu Kyi will face many challenges along the way.