By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar –
Myanmar will hold national elections on November 8th as scheduled, contrary to an announcement on Tuesday that the elections would potentially be postponed. The leader of Myanmar’s Union Election Commission, U Tin Aye, announced the potential postponement to representatives of Myanmar’s ten biggest political parties on Tuesday morning.
Mr. Aye stated that the possible postponement was due to severe flooding in parts of Myanmar, and that the effects of the flooding could make it difficult for some areas to accommodate voters. Myanmar’s national law permits the election commission to postpone or cancel elections in areas affected by natural disasters or security problems.
The Union Election Commission has stated that it reviewed statements from committee members about the pros and cons of postponing the election and that it decided to hold the election on the already scheduled date of November 8th.
The possible postponement came at a time when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate and leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), is gaining increasing support. In responding to the possible postponement of this year’s election, the NLD has said that it believes the postponement was an attempt by the government to thwart its chances of winning the election.
The upcoming national elections will be the first time since 1990 that parties will be allowed to freely challenge the military’s control in Myanmar. In the 1990 election, the NLD won 80% of the legislative seats, but the then-ruling military regime refused to hand over power to the party. The military sent the NLD’s leaders in prison and placed Ms. Suu Kyi under house arrest for fifteen years.
Ms. Suu Kyi stated last week that she plans to lead Myanmar if the NLD wins the November elections, in spite of a ban on her serving as president. Under a constitutional provision, Ms. Suu Kyi may not hold the presidential office because she has two foreign children.
Myanmar’s current governing party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, is nominally civilian run but military-backed and is made up mostly of former military generals. The USDP is led by President Thein Sein and took power in 2011 after years of military dictatorial rule.
Myanmar’s government has pledged to honor the results of the election, but critics among the current government’s opposition are distrustful of the military’s continued influence in the current government.
Election monitors and international organizations including the European Union and U.S groups such as the Carter Center are assisting Myanmar in its preparation for the upcoming elections.
For more information, please see:
The Guardian – Hours After Proposed Delay, Myanmar Says Elections to be Held on Time – 13 October 2015
The New York Times – Myanmar Government Seeks to Calm Fears of Election Postponement – 13 October 2015
Voice of America – No Delay to Myanmar Elections – 13 October 2015
The Wall Street Journal – Myanmar Says Election Will go Ahead as Planned – 13 October 2015
