Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Political parties are making efforts to expose the junta’s electoral fraud since its watchdog, the Union Election Commission, announced its list of successful members of parliament. They are however running into yet another structural obstacle to fairness: to charge a local or national election commission with electoral fraud requires they must submit a one million kyat (US$1,000) deposit.

Political parties are reviewing reports of various electoral offences compiled by township members. However, the junta’s own electoral laws state that to charge electoral authorities with any such offences, the political parties need to submit a non-refundable deposit of one million kyat per case.

The Democratic Party (Myanmar) said the party would hold a press conference at its headquarters in Rangoon to reveal to the public the fraud cases.

“Submitting complaints will not change the results as they’ve already taken power illegitimately … That [fund deposit] regulation was designed to block parties’ legal actions,” Democratic Party (Myanmar) chairman Thu Wai said.

Only three of the party’s 47 contesting candidates have won parliamentary seats; two from Rangoon Division and one from Mandalay Division.

Bo Maung, a United Democratic Party candidate for the People’s Assembly seat of Depayin Township, said the party would file a complaint with the town’s election commission and peace and development council about the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) black campaigning, electoral fraud and use of ghost votes, and the authorities’ coercion of people to cast votes in advance for the USDP.

“Hla Lu and Thaung Ya died 15 years ago but a staff member at the Paungtaungku Ward Peace and Development Council voted for the USDP using their names. He is also secretary of the ward’s election commission,” Bo Maung said.

He added that authorities stopped parties’ polling agents from monitoring the advance-voting processes.

“I’ll file a complaint to the township election commission. But I won’t charge the township election commission and village election commission because I can’t pay the one million kyat [deposit],” he said.

Union Democratic Party general secretary Thein Tin Aung said that without filing the lawsuits over electoral fraud, the results could not be changed. But parties were averse to the financial risk of lay charges against the authorities, he added.

Although his party would publish a report on the election, it would not charge the electoral authorities, he said.