Mya Wun Yan — Four parties are still refusing to sign Form 19 accepting election results for Shan State’s Taunggyi Township. A dispute has arisen after seven-thousand advanced ballots favouring the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) were submitted from outside Taunggyi Township constituency.
The day after the historic election, National League for Democracy (NLD); the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD); the Union Pa-O National Organization (UPNO); and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) jointly drafted the letter that was hand delivered to the Union Election Commission (UEC).
U Ye Myint Pe, chairman of the Township Election Commission told media and other observers that the Myanmar Armed Forces East Command sent their advanced votes at 2 pm on Sunday (Election Day).
USDP candidate U Sai Zaw Zaw said he didn’t know the exact details of the disputed votes, only finding out about it after receiving information from his party’s in-charge and posts on Facebook.
“I’ve read that the glue (on the envelopes containing advanced ballots) was still wet and that votes were identical. The truth will come out,” he said. The UEC will decide if anything has been wrong and if need be solve it.
U Khun Zaw Tun from the Union Pa-O National Organization contesting Hopong Township said: “All the advanced ballots are like this, almost everywhere. Another thing I’ve heard is some villages under their area were still casting advanced ballots at 7pm and 8 pm on Saturday (the day before Election Day). Whole villages were involved. This (USDP) party is also leading with advanced ballots in Hopong; all of the ballots were cast for them. It’s quite sure people were forced to cast them under fear.”
Dr. Daw Than Ngwe from the NLD won Lower House in Taunggyi Township, while the USDP won Upper House and Regional Parliament.
The NLD took Ethnic Affairs Minister for Kachin, Bamar, Lahu, Kayan, and Akhar. The Lisu National Development Party won Lisu Ethnic Affairs Minister.
Ko Sai Zaw Latt, an NLD candidate that took a seat in Nyaungshwe Township but lost in the Upper House in Taunggyi Township, was concerned about the disputed votes.
“There wasn’t transparency…Our representatives tried to monitor (voting) as much as possible, but there were difficulties entering military areas. We couldn’t watch them vote so couldn’t know how many advanced ballots were cast.”
Daw Nan Mya Oo, a candidate for Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said the advanced ballots weren’t cast in an honest fashion. She reported receiving information of 120 people from Yepu Kachinma Village being summoned in the evening to vote.
Dr. Sai Saing Wan tasked with observing ballot counting said: “They told us advanced ballots from outside the constituency were being counted and these were from the army. This is possible since the military works as one unit. The other parties have raised their objections, and I would also oppose this too if in a similar situation. The UEC have taken responsibility for handling this issue and I believe they will.”
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by BNI staff
