Shan Candidate Unable To Participate in Advance Voting

Shan Candidate Unable To Participate in Advance Voting
by -
Mya Wun Yan

Mya Wun Yan — A Shan Nationalities Democracy Party (SNDP) candidate has been unable to take part in advance voting in Phayar Phyu ward in Shan State’s capital Taunggyi.

“My name wasn’t included in the voter list in the first time. It was only included in the second time, but my parents’ names was wrong. I submitted an application to amend them. My parents’ names were still wrong when I tried to give my advanced vote as a candidate,” said U Sai Linn Myat.

Although the polling station official tried to correct the wrong names with a ball pen, U Sai Linn Myat couldn’t vote on Oct. 31 after finding out that he had not only had to register in the advanced voter list, but also in the State Parliament candidate list.

“My father U Aung Kyaw has been incorrectly written as U Khin Maung Nyunt and my mother’s Daw Nan Khin Yi Win as Daw Nan Aye Win. An official came to my home on Nov. 3 while I was away and gave the ballot ticket to my daughter, who is a 5th standard student, telling her that I must vote on election day,” he said while showing his ballot form with the incorrect information on it.

Various errors and inconsistencies with the voting list have been reported across the country.

Taunggyi District Election Commission’s chairman U Tin Oo told the BNI Election Newsroom that mistakes like this can be corrected at the ward or village commission offices.

Advanced voting started on Oct. 29 and runs until Nov. 7. Military personnel, civil servants, police officers, election observers, media and other individuals providing security or tasked with polling station duties on election day are allowed to participate. Those that are ill, incarnated, residing outside their constituency like students or those seeking medical aid, and those suffering from leprosy are allowed to vote in their current area of residence from Nov. 6 to 7.

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