In spite of the ceasefire agreement between the Burmese army and the Karen National Union (KNU) the UEC has still excluded 53 village-tracts in six out of seven townships in Karen State.
The Karen National Democratic Party has complained about this loss of voter’s rights and questioned the apparent bias of UEC (Union Elections Commission).
However, compared to the 2015 election the total number of Karen No- Vote “areas declined. In 2015 elections were only held in 94 village-tracts in seven townships of Karen State. Now the number of village-tracts held for the election has increased to 135.
Mann Aung Pyi Soe, Chair of the Karen National Democratic Party said: “I welcome the increase in the number of constituencies in Karen State. I feel sorry for the exclusion of 53 village-tracts. Our party wants all voters to cast their votes in the election.”
In 2015, the elections were skipped in 38 village-tracts in Kyarinseikgyi Township. But only nine village-tracts are skipped in the 2020 Election. The election will be held in the remaining 29 village-tracts in Kyarinseikgyi Township.
Locals told the KIC that the increase in the number of village-tracts of Kyarinseikgyi Township, in the voters’ list is thanks to the coordination and arrangement for the voting of peoples with the 6th Brigade-KNLA under the jurisdiction of the Dupalaryar District of the KNU. In 2015, the elections were skipped in eight village-tracts in Hlaingbwe Township.
But now the election will be held in eight all skipped village-tracts in 2020.
The holding of election in Hlaingbwe Township where the KNU headquarters is located is significant.
According to the UEC’s statement, “voters in all village-tracts in the constituency-2 in Kyarinseikgyi Township shall cast their votes. A plan is underway for the voting of people from the KNU-controlled area at the polling station in Pharpya village. People from the villages in Winyaw region which have no polling booths, in Kyarinseikgyi Township shall have to cast their votes, in the nearby villages which open polling stations.”
There are still nine skipped village-tracts in constituency-1 in Kyarinseikgyi Township. As only Karen people are living in these village-tracts, it is a loss for Karen parties.
But in other townships, it was the same old story of bias against ethnic people organizations in this case the KNU.
The elections in Pyinmabin village-tract in Hpa-and Township were canceled in 2015 and again in the 2020 General Elections. That village-tract is under the control of the KNU.
In 2015, the elections were skipped in seven village-tracts in Kawkareik Township and 25 village-tracts in Phapon Township. These village-tracts are also excluded in the 2020 General Election.
Hence Mann Aung Pyi Soe, Chair of the Karen National Democratic Party has very mixed feelings about UEC’s areas of exclusion. That there has been some increased participation of people in the election Karen State is the result of the cooperation of some local election committees working well with branches of the popular grass-roots organization of the KNU. But still, far too many Karen voters have been excluded on dubious grounds.
The KNDP is one of five ethnic parties that have jointly protested in a statement to the UEC (October 18th) of unfair bias that has resulted in a massive loss of voters rights and called on the UEC to review their October 16th list barring 35 townships and over 1.1 million voters from exercising their rights.
