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Anti-regime protesters in Yangon on February 14, 2021. / The Irrawaddy
By Khin Nadi 6 Might 2022
For the Myanmar folks, the junta’s promised new election is nothing greater than an try to legitimize army rule in Myanmar, and so the folks gained’t settle for or take part within the regime’s so-called ballot even when it occurs.
The folks have clearly demonstrated that stand ever since final 12 months’s coup by displaying placards throughout mass protests saying “Reject the coup, Respect our votes”. Nobody can have any belief in any election held by the army regime which rejected the result of the 2020 normal election, robbed the folks of their votes and brutalized their lives.
But the junta and its accomplices nonetheless imagine that they will trick the folks once more with a sham election and so delay their rule.
When Myanmar’s voters forged their votes within the November 2020 normal election, they anticipated extra of the brand new, democratic Myanmar. However their hopes and expectations had been shattered when the Myanmar army seized energy on February 1, 2021 claiming the ballot was marred by “widespread electoral fraud”. That was regardless of the worldwide and home election observers who mentioned the vote was free and honest.
Quickly after the putsch, coup chief Senior Normal Min Aung Hlaing introduced a five-point roadmap, which included reforming the Union Election Fee (UEC) and pledging to carry a “free and honest” election after which handing over energy to the profitable get together.
Subsequently, he packed the UEC along with his personal handpicked males to supervise any post-coup voting and annulled the outcomes of the 2020 election gained by the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led Nationwide League for Democracy (NLD) get together in a landslide.
The junta-run UEC is now led by U Thein Soe, a former Choose Advocate-Normal within the army, who beforehand oversaw the 2010 normal election, a ballot that was broadly considered rigged.
Junta spokesperson Main Normal Zaw Min Tun mentioned final week that the regime was making strenuous efforts to carry an election quickly.
“We’re working to carry a normal election in each a part of the nation,” he mentioned, whereas calling on the general public and stakeholders to work along with the murderous junta to make the brand new vote occur.
Dr. Lian Mmung Sakhong, vice chairman of the Chin Nationwide Entrance, one of many ethnic armed organizations which has allied with Myanmar’s shadow Nationwide Unity Authorities (NUG), responded that the regime’s plan is solely an try to increase its rule for so long as potential.
“An election has simply been held. They annulled it as they couldn’t settle for [the result] and now wish to maintain a brand new one to make folks vote just for them. It’s completely insupportable,” the ethnic chief, who additionally heads the NUG’s federal ministry, informed The Irrawaddy.
The army’s proxy and allied events suffered humiliating defeats within the 2020 normal election. These events will contest the junta’s election and the regime will guarantee that one in all them, or a coalition of them, will win.
It’s also broadly believed that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing desires to be an “elected” president, and so will probably be nominated for the presidency by the army’s proxy Union Solidarity and Growth Get together.
The NUG is aware of how earlier army regimes held sham elections, as in 2010, and in a cupboard assembly on Tuesday, the NUG’s appearing president Duwa Lashi La warned folks to not belief the junta.
“They’ve by no means saved their guarantees,” he mentioned, referring to the coup chief’s promise to carry a reputable ballot and hand over energy to the profitable get together.
For the reason that coup, the regime has additionally been engaged on disbanding the NLD, by far the nation’s hottest political get together, over alleged electoral violations and has jailed its leaders and senior members, together with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on spurious prices.
Ko Tayzar San, one of the distinguished anti-regime protest leaders, mentioned that nobody can deny that the NLD is the get together which achieves essentially the most public help or that the 2020 election mirrored the overall will of the general public.
The NLD has gained landslide victories in each election it has contested. Within the 2020 ballot it gained 82 per cent of all elected seats.
He mentioned that the folks see clearly that the junta’s proposed ballot is a pretend election designed to solidify the dictatorship and that they gained’t settle for or participate in it.
“We, the folks, strongly oppose the coup and gained’t settle for any election to be held by them [the junta] in any respect,” mentioned Ko Tayzar San.
He additionally reminded any nations who help the illegitimate junta’s plan that they’re going towards the need of the Myanmar folks.
Late final month, the ambassadors of China and India held separate conferences with the junta-run UEC to debate the regime’s deliberate new election. In the course of the conferences, the ambassadors revealed their curiosity within the electoral processes of the junta’s deliberate ballot.
“I wish to say to the 2 nations to cease their direct or oblique help to the terrorist army and respect the voices of Myanmar folks,” Ko Tayzar San mentioned.
Sai Leik of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), one in all Myanmar’s strongest ethnic political events, additionally informed The Irrawaddy that the get together hasn’t taken half within the junta’s organized electoral course of because the coup, together with conferences with the UEC.
Based in 1988, the SNLD gained the most important variety of seats after the NLD within the 1990 normal election, the outcomes of which had been ignored by former dictator Than Shwe. Together with the NLD, the SNLD boycotted the rigged 2010 election. In 2020, it gained the third-highest variety of elected seats.
Just like the NLD, the SNLD has been threatened with disbandment by the junta-run UEC. Sai Leik of the SNLD mentioned no election could be potential till the regime has been delivered to justice for its brutality and violence towards civilians.
Over 1,800 folks, together with greater than 100 kids, have been killed by junta forces because the coup, whereas over 13,000 folks have been arrested for opposing the regime.
Junta arson assaults have destroyed over 11, 000 civilian homes in an effort to terrorize the inhabitants. On the identical time, the resistance motion is waging armed wrestle towards the regime.
Final 12 months, Min Aung Hlaing steered that the brand new election may very well be held someday in 2023. However after renewing the state of emergency once more in February this 12 months for an additional six months, the junta chief mentioned that the election would happen when the state of affairs within the nation was “peaceable and secure”
Political analyst U Than Soe Naing mentioned that the junta’s deliberate election is much less prone to occur in 2023, given the escalating armed resistance towards the regime. Even when the regime makes it occur, it gained’t be free and honest, he added.
“It could simply change into a state-sponsored fabrication plotted by the junta and its allied events who’ve by no means gained in any free and honest elections in Myanmar,” mentioned U Than Soe Naing.
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