Burma’s Election Chief Vows By-Election Will Be Free and Fair

Although Burma's election commission did not resolve cases of vote rigging in last year's parliamentary elections, the commission chief, Tin Aye, center, said coming by-elections will free and fair. (Photo: Irrawaddy)

The chief of Burma’s Election Commission (EC) said in a press conference on Friday that upcoming parliamentary by-election will be free and fair and the country’s existing political parties can now start their election campaigns.
During the by-election, expected to be held in March, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP), opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and Burma’s other political parties will compete for 48 vacant parliamentary seats.
Ex-army general Tin Aye, the EC chairman, vowed during the press conference in Naypyidaw on Friday that the by-election will be held in a free and fair manner and that the EC will be independent and not submit to any outside influence. If his prediction comes to fruition, it would stand in contrast to the 2010 parliamentary elections, Burma’s first in 20 years, which the NLD boycotted and observers condemned as widely fraudulent.
During the 2010 election campaign, political parties had to seek advance approval from the EC prior to canvassing for votes and faced various other forms of campaign restrictions. Tin Aye said that in the by-elections, parties will not face a repeat of such conditions and they all can launch their campaigns without reporting to the election commission in advance.
“Only if you can organize the people, then (the parties) can join the Parliament and serve the people,” he said, adding that the commission will act in strict accordance with the Constitution.
He also said that the parties will be notified of the election date three months in advance.
The USDP, led by former army generals including President Thein Sein, won a majority of the seats in last year's parliamentary elections.
There are now only a small number of vacant parliamentary seats, but the by-election is viewed as particularly significant because the NLD has decided to participate and Suu Kyi has stated her desire to compete for a seat in Parliament—a decision that was made following government overtures to the opposition.
The EC chief welcomed the fact that the NLD would compete in the election and noted that Suu Kyi will serve for the good of the public.
Although last year’s elections were marred by heavy vote rigging, the coming by-election is expected be be free and fair, particularly because the USDP has already gained a majority of seats in the parliament and also because the election will test to what extent Burma has made political progress under the new government.
Ref: Irrawaddy

Posted in: 05. MYANMAR