Burmese pro-democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi declared a “new era” for the country Monday, after she and fellow members of her party won a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary by-elections.

She told a crowd of cheering supporters in Rangoon she hoped the election results will force the government to heed the will of ordinary citizens.

“We hope that this is the beginning of the new era, where there will be more emphasis on the role of the people in the everyday politics of the country.”

She appealed to other political parties to help bring democracy and better living conditions to the impoverished country, which she said she hoped would “be able to go further along the road towards national reconciliation.”

The White House on Monday congratulated the Burmese people and Aung San Suu Kyi on the landmark election, calling the vote an important step in Burma's democratic transformation. White House spokesman Jay Carney said “we hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the election a significant step, but added that the government still had to “redouble” efforts toward “genuine national reconciliation.” He also said what he called “the courage and vision” of Burmese President Thein Sein had made such progress possible.

According to partial results, the opposition National League for Democracy has so far won at least 40 of the 44 seats it contested. But the Union Solidarity and Development Party, which was formed by the ruling military before it ceded power in a general election last year, will continue to have an overwhelming majority in parliament.

The NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 general elections, but military leaders at the time refused to relinquish power and the victors were refused entry into parliament. Aung San Suu Kyi was held under some form of confinement by the military government for most the past 22 years.

Observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said the election was conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. David Lipman, head of a European Union delegation, expressed satisfaction at the changes taking place in Burma, also known as Myanmar.

“We want to try and continue to support and encourage the tremendous momentum for change in Myanmar and that's what the European Union wants to do and that's why we were here yesterday.”