Maw Mi Myar | Oo Myar
Kayah State Democratic Party (KySDP) Secretary U Teh Reh told the Kantarawaddy Times that the election commission’s announcement of a list of constituencies where the election could not be held was unfair as the current ruling party had dismantled the constituencies which they could not win.
“These areas are not like the constituencies that have to be cancelled after the actual war. There is no solid evidence. In another place like Paletwa, however, it is as if the election will be held again although the heavy war.”
On 12 October, the Union Election Commission (UEC) announced the constituencies where election could not be held.
They are the village tracts in some townships of Kachin State, Karen State, Rakhine State, Shan State, Mon State, and Bago Region.
There have been allegations among ethnic parties that the places which elections were not allowed to take place are where the incumbent NLD could not win whereas it is majority of the victorious ethnic parties.
The reason is that, according to the constitution, the new Union government is elected every five years, and at least five members and the chairperson of the Union Election Commission are appointed by the president and approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.
After the 2015 election, the Union Government was formed with UEC chairperson and 4 members, and the President was appointed in accordance with Article 398, Sub-section (a), of the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and the union government was appointed in accordance with Section 9 of the Union Government Law; According to the provisions of sub-section (e) and section 3 of the Union Election Commission Law, and it is written on the President’s Office 2016 Announcement number (4/2016) with the date, March 30, according to the website of the Union Election Commission.
Mon Ywar Aung Shin, secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD)’s Central Information Committee, said the UEC was an independent body and did not accept the allegation which UEC has connection with NLD.
“The NLD cannot manipulate the UEC. The UEC also does not give any favor to NLD. UEC Chairman Hla Thein also said before. It is at a meeting with all political parties. No political party is above the UEC law. He has said it himself. No political party is above the UEC. There was no secret attempt with the UEC also.”
The five ethnic parties such as the Kachin State People’s Party (KSPP), KySDP, Karen National Democratic Party (KNDP), Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD), and The Mon Unity Party (MUP) have issued a statement on October 18 to revise the UEC statement as it is injustice.
U Nyi Nyi Min, the Loikaw district chief of UEC, responded on a statement that the five ethnic parties had called for a review, “I do not want to give any comment on this because it has been issued by the UEC.”
In Kayah State, although the general election was not held in 2010, but in 2015, the whole state was able to hold elections. Kayah State is not listed in this announcement.