Arakan social organizations have called for the swift implementation of the request made by the President U Win Myint for holding the elections in Arakan State.
In his message sent to a ceremony to observe the Arakan State Day which falls on December 15th, President U Win Myint called for the swift implementation of a plan to hold the elections in Arakan State.
The UEC cancelled the elections entirely in Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Yathaedaung, Buthedaung, Maungdaw, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Myaebon and MraukU Townships and partly in 15 wards and 130 village-tracts in Ann, Kyaukphyu, Taunggup and Sittwe Townships.
The move caused some 1.2 million voters to lose their right to participate in the general election, which is held every five years. Since the Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar’s military began an informal truce last month, affected locals have called for voting to be held before the new Parliament convenes on Feb. 1.
However doubts have quickly arisen over whether either the NLD or the UEC will act on the wishes of the president. U Aye Lwin, director of the Mro Youth New Generation said: “The President should use his authority to hold the elections in Arakan State. I think the President should not use the term ‘urge.’ The President is the highest authority in the country.”
NLD’s spokesman Dr. Myo Nyunt claims that legal obstacles stand in the way of holding elections. According to Dr Nyunt “ The country’s election law rules out the possibility of voting being held any time soon in areas where the Nov. 8 election was canceled” despite a lull in fighting in western Myanmar.
U Khin Maung Gyi, a leader of All Rakhine National Unity Committee said: “In my view, the cancellation of elections in Arakan State were done intentionally. The words of support for by-elections by the military chief and the President are just superficial. “
U San Kyaw Hla, the Rakhine State parliament speaker, said the state “is ready” to hold the election. He added that no progress on the situation had been made despite repeated calls from local politicians. U Thu Rein Htut, the secretary of Rakhine State’s election sub-commission, told The Irrawaddy last week that the state “has the potential to hold the election, but was awaiting an order from the UEC.”
Dr. Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the National League for Democracy, said. “The main obstacle is that the election law prohibits holding a by-election within a year prior to or following [a general] election. Therefore, to overcome this quickly, a parliamentary session would first have to be called to amend this election law [provision].”
But Daw Khin Saw Wai, an incumbent Lower House parliamentarian from the Arakan National Party representing Rathedaung, said voting could be held before the third week of January if the UEC agreed and challenged the NLD’s interpretation of the election law. She insisted the election in northern Rakhine “is currently delayed”, so any rescheduled voting should be considered part of the general election, and not a by-election.
To many people in Rakhine State the legal issues of holding the election for nine townships is not the biggest obstacle, and if there is a political will to solve the problem by the NLD and the UEC then elections could be held by January 31st.The first step towards resolving the Union governments conflict with Rakhine will be to demonstrate good faith in holding the cancelled elections within the current term of the union parliament.
