Sa Ai Sue — The karen Information Center held a debate titled “Border Area and Free and Correct Voting Rights” in Karen State’s Myawaddy on Monday to highlight voting rights in the border areas during the upcoming election.
This debate was held with aid of Burma News International (BNI) and support from USAID, a US government agency. U Sein Bo, the NLD's Myawaddy Township’s Lower House candidate, the Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party's Upper House candidate Nan Phyu Phyu Win, Karen civil society member Naw El Phaw Wah and an opinionated local constituent, Saw Aung Mya Latt, were the lead participants in the debate.
“The public has the right to vote freely, but the voter list was incorrect from the beginning and it is still incorrect the second time so I feel suspicious. Most of the constituents in Myawaddy District are from the towns. The town residents have more awareness so more than fifty percent will be able to vote correctly,” U Sein Bo told the KIC.
He added that debate programs educate the voters and he hopes voters will understand the dos and don’ts that they need to practice.
“There haven’t been any changes in our area. The public had been living in fear and without awareness and had been ruled with fear so they’re still worried over the right to vote freely,” said Saw Aung Mya Latt, who participated in the debate.
When other candidates discussed about the public’s lack of participation in the election, Saw Aung Mya Latt, responded that the public has been cooperating all the time and they have been oppressed without receiving any opportunities so they are feeling tired.
A large group of people including representatives and members of invited parties, representatives of civil society organization and the media attended the KIC debate.
A similar KIC debate was held in Hpa-an on September 29th under the title “2015 Election and the
Pledges of the Political Parties”.
Translated by Thida Linn
