Daw Aye Nu Sein, the spokesperson of the ANP declared: “The ANP would be likely to secure the seats in the canceled townships. I want the people to know the fact that the denial of an election amounts to breaching the human rights and citizen rights, as well as barring the ANP’s candidates from entering the parliament.”
The UEC’s cancellation of elections in nine townships and four wards/village-tracts in four other townships is a deliberate plan to destroy the Arakan National Party (ANP), according to the party’s statement on November 1.
The cancellation of elections has disenfranchised over 1.2 million out of over 1.64 million eligible voters in Arakan State, according to the Arakan State Election Sub-Commission.
U Tun Aung Kyaw, a candidate from the ANP in Sittwe Township said: “More than one million people will lose their voting rights due to the cancellation of elections in Arakan State. Disenfranchisement amounts to discriminating against the rights of other ethnics and citizens in Myanmar. It is the breach of human rights and citizen rights.”
“In cooperation with other ethnics in the Union, the ANP will go ahead with building a genuine federal union on a legal basis, whatever difficulty and obstacles at present. I would like to urge the people to support and vote for the party, in order that such a strong party can continue marching towards its national goal.”
On October 16th, the UEC entirely canceled the elections in Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Yathaedaung, Buthedaung, Maungdaw, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Myaebon and MraukU Townships as these townships it is claimed are not in a position to hold a free and fair election. In addition, the UEC also canceled the elections in two wards and 52 village-tracts in Kyaukphyu Township, three wards and 29 village-tracts in Ann Township, four village-tracts in Sittwe Township and ten wards and 52 village-tracts in Taunggup Township.
But the UEC reversed its decision to cancel the elections in four village-tracts in Ann Township and three village-tracts in Kyaukphyu Township, on October 27th. If the UNEC has been forced to admit some previous errors after a flurry of protests, then ethnic groups can argue that the Elections Commission must also review again, all the other challenges to its rulings.
In addition to the strong complaint of Arakan parties the UNEC’s mass disenfranchisement has also drawn similar cry of discrimination and injustice from the other local parties in five other ethnic states –Kachin, Karen, Kayan, Mon, and Shan.
The UEC ‘s weak response has been their decisions are made in consultation with military-dominated ministries – The Defence Ministry and Home Affairs who are very far from neutral observers with military offensives still plaguing parts of Kachin, Shan and Karen States. This means that while the UEC claims to be independent in reality they have admitted that at the national level they are following the security guidelines of the Burmese military that has been fighting a campaign to crush ethnic rights for the last 60 years.
