A senior leader of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) said, the United Nations (UN) envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari should push the ruling junta to hold free and fair elections in 2010, during his visit to the country soon.
Gambari's visit to Burma is aimed at discussing political reconciliation in the Southeast Asian nation and was announced on January 26 by the UN office in New York. During his earlier visit in August, 2008, he was denied a meeting with the junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe while democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi who is under house-arrest in Rangoon, spurned his efforts to meet her.
Dr. Manam Tu Ja, Vice-president No. II of KIO and Chairman of Kachin State Interim Committee (KSIC) which was formed in preparation for the 2010 elections by forming a Kachin state political party, told KNG today, "Gambari can advise the ruling junta to obey the wishes of the majority of the Burmese people while it is implementing the seven-step roadmap. He should not only suggest to the junta to hold free and fair elections in 2010 but also that the election rules should be accepted by the public."
Dr. Tu Ja said that he believed Gambari can advice the junta given the current political condition while ushering in democracy in the country through its seven-step roadmap. However the junta is known to reject any suggestion from inside and outside Burma which they think will affect the seven-step roadmap.
While supporting the junta's seven-step roadmap, the KIO had tried to take a neutral stand on the junta's referendum in May 10, 2008 on the country's new constitution. However the KIO changed its stand on the constitution and ordered its people to cast 'approval votes' on the referendum day.
On June 20, 2008, the KSIC was formed by the three main Kachin ceasefire groups the KIO, New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), the Lasang Awng Wa Ceasefire Group, and the Kachin National Consultative Assembly (KNCA). The KSIC is ready to announce the name of its political party which will contest the 2010 elections as soon as the junta authorizes forming of political parties in the country, said Chairman Dr. Tu Ja.
Meanwhile, the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and ethnic ceasefire groups are waiting for the announcement of the junta to form political parties for participating in the 2010 elections.
Brig-Gen Thein Zaw Minister of Post, Telegraph and Communication Ministry of the junta officially said that the USDA will be transformed to a political party soon to contest the 2010 elections during his visit to Kachin Cultural Manau Festival in Kachin state's capital Myitkyina on the 61st anniversary of Kachin State Day on January 10 where he delivered a short speech.
Currently, the KSIC is looking at a 'step by step policy' for genuine democracy in the country through negotiation and it believes that the policy will be possible, added Dr. Tu Ja.
