Burma’s 2015 general elections will be held in the last week of October or the first week of November, 2015, Union Election Commission (UEC) Chairman U Tin Aye announced at a meeting between political parties on Tuesday, 21st October, at the Panda Hotel in Rangoon.
U Tin Aye stated that the UEC will oversee the election to ensure that they are free and fair.
According to the Constitution, the Hluttaw (parliament) serves a five-year term; the first Pyithu Hluttaw was held on 31st January 2011, so their term is set to end on 31st January 2016. The second term for Pyithu Hluttaw will be called for at that time, announced the UEC chairman; stating that the 2015 elections will not be postponed.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the political parties discussed the laws and rules regarding the election and election campaigns. The political parties requested that they be allowed to conduct campaigns up to 60 days before election day, but the UEC ruled that such a lengthy campaign period would only be allowed in remote areas, which are not easily accessible, according to U Kyaw San Thar, the General Secretary of Shan Nationalities Democracy Party (SNDP).
He said: “At the meeting, the topics concerned with elections were prioritized for discussion. The exact day [for the election] is not confirmed yet. And, [as] for the matter of [extending campaigns to] 60 days, if granted, it will be [allowed] only for the far-off areas, but not for the areas where roads and transportation are accessible; that’s what the Commission [decided],” said U Kyaw San Thar.
Representatives of Burma’s political parties requested that the Commission allow the parties to contest the upcoming election in areas where they were not contested in the 2010 election due to security concerns at that time. The parties also requested that civilians be appointed to the voting booths and stations, instead of government staff.
In response, the Commission announced that it could not easily amend already-enacted law.
The political parties will meet with the UEC again in December, according to political party leaders.
At a 20th October press conference, held after the UEC and civil society organizations met to discuss the process of gathering lists of voters, U Tin Aye announced that the 2015 general elections will be held in the last week of October or the first week of November, 2015. The press conference was held at the Micasa Hotel in Rangoon.
