Ko Moe Kyaw — Although there are 790 officially listed voters with disabilities in Sagaing Region’s Kalay District, the Election Commission has not made any special arrangements to make it easier for them to vote.
“We haven’t arranged any special program for disabled people to vote unlike in other countries. They have to vote with the ballot [like others], but they can bring along their parents or sibling when they come to cast their votes,” said U Gin Khan Pau, chairman of Kalay District Election Commission.
Kalay District currently has 790 eligible voters with disabilities. Pu Van Kin, the chairman of the Kalaymyo branch of the Chin League for Democracy said community elders and village and ward election commission officials should visit the homes of disabled people and help them cast their votes.
"We shouldn’t give trouble to disabled people. If the commission wants to do it, the community elders including the ward commissioners should visit each home belonging to disabled people and ask them to vote. They don’t need to watch which party he or she will vote for. Even if the [disabled people] asked someone to accompany them inside the voting booth, the people inside are their people so I don’t trust them,” said U Van Kin.
A total of 790 eligible voters with disabilities- 375 men and 415 women- reside in Kalay District. Similarly, Kalaywa area has 136 disabled voters – 57 men and 79 women – while the Minkin area has 242 disabled voters – 105 men and 137 women -, according to the Kalaymyo District Election Commission office.
According to Kalay District Election Commission’s Chairman U Gin Khan Pau, Kalay Township has 126 voting booths and over 300,000 eligible voters.
