Naypyidaw: Two lawmakers from the Rakhine National Development Party, or RNDP, won in a recount of disqualified ballots before the judges in Naypyidaw court during a trial, said U Kyaw Lwin, an elected MP from Kyauk Pru Township who is a defendant.
"I got 147 ballots more than the USDP candidate after counting the disqualified ballots from 24 polling centers in our townships. The judge ordered the counting to stop after completing the 24 polling centers. The verdict for our cases will be decided on 15 June, 2011, and announced by the judge in court," U Kyaw Lwin said.
U Kyaw Lwin and U Own Tin from Kyauk Pru Township were charged along with seven other RNDP lawmakers on several charges leveled by USDP candidates after they lost in the election.
One of the allegations from the USDP candidates was that there many disqualified ballots accepted in Kyauk Pru, and they complained that this caused them to lose the majority of votes.
The election commission in Kyauk Pru Township sent the disqualified ballots in the last few days to be counted before the judges in the court in Naypyidaw, which was set up by election commission to try the case, U Kyaw Lwin said.
The judges ordered counting of the disqualified ballots in the court in accordance with the USDP candidates' complaint but the USDP candidates lost again in the recount.
“It is proof that the allegations of USDP candidates against RNDP elected MPs are baseless and have no solid facts. We won in the election as people voted for us, not by misappropriations. We are powerless candidates, so how can we monopolize the election in our state?†he said.
The case of U Kyaw Lwin and U Own Tin will be decided on 15 June, but the trials of the other seven MPs from the RNDP are still going on. All the cases are expected to end in the last week of June, said party leaders.
The RNDP won 34 seats in Arakan State in the election that was held on 7 November, 2010. After the election, nine elected MPs were been charged by USDP candidates with several allegations of fraud.
