“The only challenges are inaccuracies with the voting list. We haven’t received any reports on the campaign from the state level. We are working according to schedule so there won’t be any difficulties. The commission faces difficulties in traveling to the Buthidaung area. We have to travel two or three days ahead if we are going on a tour. We have to put the motorcycles on the ferry boat for faster transportation,” said U Aung Mya, Chairman of the Arakan State Election Commission.

U Oo Than Naing from the Arakan National Party (ANP), who is running for a seat in the State Parliament known as Rathedaung Township No 1, said the rules and regulations set by the Election Commission have not affected the campaign so far.

“The USDP hasn’t found any significant challenges during the campaign except in Kyauktaw. The vinyl signboard of the Upper House candidate was destroyed with a sword in Kyauktaw Township,” Dr San Shwe, secretary of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) Arakan State branch, told Narinjara.

An official from the National Unity Party’s (NUP) Arakan State's branch in charge of Women’s Affairs, Daw Hla Aye, has also said that her party has not had any difficulties during the campaign. However many village residents do not know whether their names are included on the voter list or not, she said.

Twenty-one political parties will run in the upcoming election in Arakan also known as Rakhine State, according to the Arakan State Election Commission.
Arakan State has 1,475,830 eligible voters, including 22,615 military personnel and 6,795 police officers.

According to the Arakan State Election Commission 2,550 polling booths will be opened in Arakan State on election day. A total of 33,914 polling station staff will be working on polling day in Arakan state.

Translated by Thida Linn with editing by BNI staff.