YANGON: US President Barack Obama called Myanmar President Thein Sein on Thursday to congratulate him on successfully staging a historic general election in which democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi trounced the ruling camp.

Obama also called Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), which has won more than 80 percent of the seats declared so far in the lower house, to commend them for their success, which puts her on course to form the new cabinet. NLD is also well ahead in the upper house and regional assemblies.

If the full results confirm the trend, Suu Kyi’s triumph will sweep out an old guard of former generals that has run Myanmar, also known as Burma, since Thein Sein ushered in sweeping democratic and economic reforms four years ago.

“The two leaders discussed the importance for all parties to respect the official results once announced and to work together with a spirit of unity to form an inclusive, representative government that reflects the will of the people,” the White House said in a statement following Obama’s call with .

Thein Sein’s presidential spokesman and Information Minister Ye Htut said on his Facebook page: “He said America would continue cooperating with the Myanmar government.”

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 his 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.”

Thein Sein and the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing have already endorsed Suu Kyi’s victory, congratulating her Wednesday on winning a majority of the seats in the first free election in 25 years.

The two reiterated their commitment to respect the result and agreed to Suu Kyi’s request to hold reconciliation talks soon, although the parties are still to agree on the details.

Such unambiguous endorsements of Suu Kyi’s victory could smooth the lengthy post-election transition, ahead of the first session of parliament, which reconvenes on Monday.

It also sets the stage for cooperation between democratic activists and the army, which had fought them during half a century of iron-fisted rule before a handover to a semi-civilian government in 2011.

Suu Kyi has become increasingly defiant on that presidential clause as the scale of her victory has become apparent, making it clear she intends to run the country regardless of whom the NLD elects as president.

“I make all the decisions because I’m the leader of the winning party. The president will be one whom we will choose just to meet the requirements of the constitution,” said Suu Kyi in an interview with Channel News Asia.

“He will have no authority. He will act in accordance with the decisions of the party,” said Suu Kyi, adding that the president will be “told exactly what he can do.”