Kayah State villagers worry about voting process

Kayah State villagers worry about voting process
by -
Kantarawaddy Times

Villagers in Kayah State who did not vote in the previous  2010 election are concerned they will not be able to vote in the upcoming November national election due to difficulties understanding the current process, says U Nareh, Chairman of Dawphu village tract of Demoso township.

"The people from the villages worry whether they should vote and how they should vote," said U Nareh.  These villages had been left out of the widely criticized 2010 election as their villages were designated security risk areas by government authorities.  These areas also did not take part in the 2012 round of by-elections either.

Although social organisations and NGO's held a series of voter education classes for residents living in the eastern part of Demoso township, few people appear to have attended these sessions.

“It’s very sad that the public were not able to attend the education courses because they were busy,” said U Oo Yal, Chairman of Demoso Election Commission.  He believes that house to house voter outreach education programs could have been more effective in reaching local people.

U Law Yal from the Mawdu Kalarmae Social Development Association, an organization that has been conducting voter education classes, told the Kantarawaddy Times that many people voting for the first time are confused by the process.  

“By taking election classes, I believe the public will become more interested and learn more about it.  There may be an increase in voting as this concerns their rights,” said U Law Yal.

During a class conducted by the Mawdu Kalarmae Social Development Association at Mawdu Kalarmae Hall in Demoso on September 17th, villagers from Dawthamagyi, Dawphu and Htipukalo village tracts learned how to cast their ballots and how to prevent their votes from being rejected or spoiled.  

Translated by Thida Linn
Editing by BNI Staff

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