Chiang Mai – Analysts and critics at home and abroad are concerned over the possibility of rigging in the referendum seeking approval of the constitution on May 10. The apprehension has mounted following a junta brass statement on the vote counting method.
Maj. Gen. Myint Swe, member of ruling military council, said during a meeting held in Naypyitaw on April 9 that the voting results will be announced from the junta's capital city Naypyitaw.
This meeting was attended by about 600 senior officials from government and non-government sectors. During the meeting, Maj. Gen. Myint Swe said that they would allow only 10 last voters in each polling station to witness the vote counting in each station.
Thailand based Burmese observer and analyst U Win Min said that what Maj. Gen. Myint Swe said was contrary to the referendum law and rule issued by the Referendum Commission. He was worried about the method of counting votes and the consequent results.
"According to the Referendum Law, there must be at least 10 voters as witnesses in each polling booth. It means there may be 20, 30, 40 to 100 but it must not be less than 10. But Gen. Myint Swe said that they would allow only the last 10 voters, which is contrary to the law", he said.
"So our people will have to wait till the end to be among the last 10 witnesses as voters. The government backed organizations like USDA will manipulate to be among the last 10 voters by any means and at any cost", he added.
U Thein Nyunt, NLD's lawyer is apprehensive about vote rigging more at the Township level than at the ward level. He warned that vote counting should be guarded and monitored by the people themselves to make sure there is no foul play and vote rigging in the referendum.
U Thein Nyunt further said that there are many loopholes in this referendum laws and rules. His party NLD is studying these laws and rules thoroughly and will inform the people after studying it.
"In the 1990 general election, the poll results were announced from each polling station after counting there. We could collect the result from each polling station and add it up ourselves. In this way, we knew who won in each constituency. We can do the same this time. We must try to send our people to every polling station. For instance, we must send 100 people to all 100 polling stations in Myitkyina. Suppose if we have 100,000 'No' votes according to our own collected data, and then if this comes down to 10,000 according to the government result, it must be vote rigging. We must lodge a complaint about this irregularity to the authorities concerned, "U Thein Nyunt added.
"Each polling station will send the ballot boxes to the Township level referendum commission. Then the votes will be counted at these township level stations. In the prescribed vote counting form, there is no space for witnesses. There are many questionable things and points as far as we have studied", U Thein Nyunt further said.
Burmese observer and analyst U Win Min said the junta's announcement that all the voting result will be announced from Naypyitaw suggests that the referendum will be rigged.
"They can guess whether the result will be 'Yes' or 'No'. So they can easily rig the referendum. They will announce repolling where there are 'No' votes. They can do anything. The point of concern is the announcement of results from only one place, Naypyitaw, not from each polling station. It is not in accordance with international norms. In Burma too, this system has never been in use. Their intention is very clear -- poll rigging," he observed.
The junta fixed the referendum for May 10 this year amid growing protests and criticism at home.
Though the UN and opposition forces called for allowing independent observers to monitor the referendum to make it more free, fair and transparent, the junta turned down all these requests and demands.
