Burmese authorities have officially recognized opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, allowing the party to re-enter the mainstream political process ahead of an upcoming parliamentary election.

State media said Tuesday that the country's election commission had approved the NLD's application for registration as an official political party.

The party was dissolved after boycotting elections in November 2010 because of a law that prevented Aung San Suu Kyi, then under house arrest, from running.

Last month, the Nobel laureate Suu Kyi confirmed that she plans to run for parliament in the next Burmese election, which is expected to take place sometime early next year.

The National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military refused to relinquish power.

Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest last year after spending much of the previous 20 years in detention.

Since taking power in March, Burma's new nominally civilian government has made a series of unexpected conciliatory gestures toward the country's opposition.

In the past year, Burma has halted a controversial Chinese-backed dam project, passed a bill that allows citizens to stage peaceful protests, and begun releasing some of the country's political prisoners. It has also eased some press restrictions and started talks with key opposition groups.