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Myanmar prepares for historic election

Updated 0528 GMT (1328 HKT) November 2, 2015

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Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi holds a rally in Yangon on November 1, 2015, one week before the country is set to hold a landmark general election.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi holds a rally in Yangon on November 1, 2015, one week before the country is set to hold a landmark general election.
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Thousands of Suu Kyi's supporters gather at a final rally in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, on November 1 to hear the former political prisoner and Nobel laureate speak.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Thousands of Suu Kyi's supporters gather at a final rally in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, on November 1 to hear the former political prisoner and Nobel laureate speak.
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The Nobel Peace Prize winner told the crowd on November 1, "Some people say it's not time for us to achieve real democracy yet. But I think its just because they don't want to give it to us. Everyone deserves democracy."
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
The Nobel Peace Prize winner told the crowd on November 1, "Some people say it's not time for us to achieve real democracy yet. But I think its just because they don't want to give it to us. Everyone deserves democracy."
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Supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League For Democracy (NLD), are decked in the red of her party.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League For Democracy (NLD), are decked in the red of her party.
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Supporters of the NLD cram the streets in a river of red shirts and flags during the November 1 rally.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Supporters of the NLD cram the streets in a river of red shirts and flags during the November 1 rally.
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An NLD supporter dons accessories at the rally on November 1. The scene is festive because it's the first time in a generation party supporters get the chance to vote in national elections.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
An NLD supporter dons accessories at the rally on November 1. The scene is festive because it's the first time in a generation party supporters get the chance to vote in national elections.
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Supporters fill the streets in a river of red shirts and flags at a campaign rally for the National League for Democracy in Yangon on November 1.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Supporters fill the streets in a river of red shirts and flags at a campaign rally for the National League for Democracy in Yangon on November 1.
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There are more than a dozen political parties in the running, but the NLD's main rival will be the incumbent ruling party, which enjoys the support of the military, which is itself guaranteed to hold at least 25% of the seats in the next parliament.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
There are more than a dozen political parties in the running, but the NLD's main rival will be the incumbent ruling party, which enjoys the support of the military, which is itself guaranteed to hold at least 25% of the seats in the next parliament.
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Local election officials conduct a voting day simulation in a school compound in Yangon on October 31 during a training session for volunteers, supervised by Union Election Commission (UEC) officials in preparation for the November 8 election.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Local election officials conduct a voting day simulation in a school compound in Yangon on October 31 during a training session for volunteers, supervised by Union Election Commission (UEC) officials in preparation for the November 8 election.
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Naing Ngan Linn, a Myanmar opposition candidate and member of the parliament, is treated at the Yangon General Hospital on October 30, 2015. He suffered injuries from a machete attack while touring Yangon's Tharketa township on October 29.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Naing Ngan Linn, a Myanmar opposition candidate and member of the parliament, is treated at the Yangon General Hospital on October 30, 2015. He suffered injuries from a machete attack while touring Yangon's Tharketa township on October 29.
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Singers perform on a motorcade during a campaign rally by supporters of the army-backed ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Yangon on October 30.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
Singers perform on a motorcade during a campaign rally by supporters of the army-backed ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Yangon on October 30.
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A voter casts an early ballot at a polling center in Yangon on October 30, 2015 while European Union election observers look on during a 10-day, nationwide advance voting period.
Photos: Myanmar prepares for historic election
A voter casts an early ballot at a polling center in Yangon on October 30, 2015 while European Union election observers look on during a 10-day, nationwide advance voting period.
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Supporters of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi fill the streets during a campaign rally for the National League for Democracy in Yangon on November 1, 2015. Myanmar heads to the polls on November 8 in what observers and voters hope will be the fairest election in decades as the nation slowly shakes off years of military rule.