Euro-Burma Office 10 November 22 November 2010 Election Monitor ELECTION MONITOR NO. 49 DIPLOMATS OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OBSERVE VOTING PROCESS IN VARIOUS STATES AND REGIONS Representatives of foreign embassies and UN agencies based in Myanmar, members of the Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club and local journalists observed the polling stations and studied the casting of votes at a number of polling stations on the day of the elections. According the state-run media, the diplomats and guests were organized into small groups and conducted to the various regions and states to witness the elections. The following are the number of polling stations and number of eligible voters for the various regions and states:1 1. Kachin State - 866 polling stations for 824,968 eligible voters. 2. Magway Region- 4436 polling stations in 1705 wards and villages with 2,695,546 eligible voters 3. Chin State - 510 polling stations with 66827 eligible voters 4. Sagaing Region - 3,307 polling stations with 3,114,222 eligible voters in 125 constituencies 5. Bago Region - 1251 polling stations and 1057656 voters 6. Shan State (North ) - 1268 polling stations in five districts, 19 townships and 839 wards/ villages and there were 1,060,807 eligible voters. 7. Shan State(East) - 506 polling stations and 331,448 eligible voters 8. Shan State (South)- 908,030 eligible voters cast votes at 975 polling stations 9. Mandalay Region - 653 polling stations where more than 85,500 eligible voters 10. Rakhine State - 2824 polling stations and over 1769000 eligible voters in 17 townships in Rakhine State, 1267 polling stations and over 863000 eligible voters in Sittway District and 139 polling stations and over 146000 eligible voters in Sittway Township. 11. Taninthayi Region - 1030 polling stations were opened in 12 constituencies of over 690,000 eligible voters 12. Kayah State - N/A (information not made available) 13. Mon State - N/A - 14. Kayin State - N/A - 15. Ayeyawady Region- N/A - 16. Yangon Region - N/A - REMONSTRATIONS WITH THE UEC ON REPRESENTATIVES ELECT On 17 November, the Union Election Commission (UEC) informed the political parties that if they want to remonstrate with the commission about the representatives-elect, they can do so by writing them a letter, in accordance with their rules and regulations. The letter said that political parties are to send a letter of objection to the UEC in accordance with the Election Rule 87 and Articles 67 and 68 of the respective Election Laws if they want to object a representative-elect or to claim the voting in the constituency is unfair. They also warned political parties who have made allegations to foreign 2 media that they are acting against Article 64 of the Election Laws. 1 Diplomats of foreign missions observe voting process in various states and regions - http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/NLM2010-11- 08.pdf (NLM) 8 November 2010 & http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/NLM2010-11-09.pdf (NLM ) 9 November 2010 1 Euro-Burma Office 10 November 22 November 2010 Election Monitor INDEPENDENT PLANS TO EXIT POLITICS An independent candidate in Nay Pyi Taw has abandoned his dream of becoming a parliamentarian forever after losing out to a candidate from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) during the elections. U Tin Aye, aged 68, was running for election in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) constituency in Lewe Township, Nay Pyi Taw. Initially, he had planned to file an official complaint against the outcome of the election results but later decided to later not to pursue the matter. He now plans to retire from politics and plans to start his own business. During the elections, U Tin Aye was competing against U Htay Win from the USDP and U Myint Oo from the National Unity Party (NUP). State media confirmed on 12 November that Htay Win had claimed the seat, with 68.5 per cent of total valid votes while U Myint Oo received 22 per cent, and U Tin Aye finished third on 9.5 per cent, with 11,392 votes. The figures show 76.3 percent of the 164,838 eligible voters cast a valid vote in Lewe.3 DESPITE FEW WINS, DEMOCRATIC PARTY RESOLVES TO FIGHT ON The Democratic Party (Myanmar) will continue to push for democratic change in Myanmar despite winning only three seats at the elections, chairman U Thu Wai said. The party fielded 47 candidates and three of its members were elected to the Region/State Hluttaws in Bahan (1) and Bahan (2) constituencies, Yangon Region while a third candidate was elected in Chanayethanzan (2) in Mandalay Region respectively. U Thu Wai added that “the election is just one process, one step. Our party is going to continue to exist and expand. We will continue with our plan which includes focusing on education, health and the social welfare of the public.”4 UNITY DEMOCRACY PARTY OF KACHIN STATE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND MEMBERSHIP The Chairman of the Unity Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS), Khet Tein Nan said that prior to the convening of parliament, the party would set out to recruit new members while at the same time take steps to fulfil the needs of existing party members. The UDPKS which had formed an alliance with the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) contested in all three tiers of parliamentary elections fielding 3 candidates in the Amyotha (Upper House) Hluttaw and 2 candidatates each in the Pyithu (Lower House) and Region/State and Ethnic Nationalities Hluttaws respectively. At present the UDPKS has an estimated membership of over 20,000 members nationwide and party membership is mainly composed of Kachin, Shan, Bhama, Kadu and Kanan nationals.5 2 Political parties can remonstrate with the UEC about the representatives-elect in accordance with rules and regulations - http://www.myanmararchives.com/newspapers/The-New-Light-of-Myanmar/2010/11_Nov/17-11-2010.pdf (NLM) 17 November 2010 3 Independents plans to exit politics - http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/549/news54910.html (Myanmar Times) 16 November 2010 4 Despite few wins, Democracy party resolves to fight on – http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/549/news54905.html (Myanmar Times) 16 November 2010 5 Unity Democracy Party of Kachin State will continue to expand membership - http://www.myanmar.mmtimes.com/2010/news/493/ news04.html (Myanmar Times) 16 November 2010 2 Euro-Burma Office 10 November 22 November 2010 Election Monitor MINISTERS SEEK COOPERATION WITH KAREN PARTY Two Burmese government ministers have reportedly met an influential monk, Ashin Pyinnyar Thar Mi in Kayin State and urged him to try and persuade the Phalon Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP) to cooperate with the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Ashin Pyinnyar Thar Mi is a consultant for the PSDP, which fielded 18 candidates for parliamentary seats in Kayin State in the 7 November elections, and was successful in having 9 candidates elected. According to sources, the prominent monk met with Information Minister Kyaw San and Religious Affairs Minister Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung at his monastery in Taung Kalay, Hpa-an township. The two ministers reportedly informed Ashin Pyinnyar Thar Mi that the government was ready to cooperate with the PSDP. However, the party would not work hand in hand with the government if it opposed the party’s policies. The PSDP was one of three ethnic parties representing the Karen people in the election. The other two were the Karen People's Party and the Kayin State Democracy and Development Party.6 MAIN ETHNIC PARTIES PLAN TO SIT IN NEW PARLIMENT Burma's two largest ethnic parties have said that they will claim their seats in Parliament when it is formed, despite their allegations of cheating by the junta-backed party that has been declared the winner of the elections. Leaders of the two parties, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), said that they would join the Parliament for the sake of their people. “We will take our seats in Parliament even if other parties boycott it,” said SNDP Chairman, Sai Aik Pao. “We want to use our position inside Parliament to improve the living standards of our Shan people.” The SNDP, also known as the White Tiger Party, fielded 157 candidates in the election and won 57 seats. The RNDP, which enjoyed strong support in Arakan State, also said that it would not boycott the Parliament, but intended to challenge the results in some constituencies where the USDP was accused of ballot rigging. RNDP Chairman, Dr Aye Maung said that the party is “collecting evidence of cheating by the USDP during the election. When we are finished, we will send it to the Election Commission (EC).” He also said that his party intended to work to promote the equality of the ethnic Rakhine people and wanted to discuss the government's gas projects in Arakan State. The RNDP won in 35 of the 44 constituencies it contested. 7 NDF SACKS DEPUTY WHO SOUGHT AUDIT According to the party leader, Khin Maung Swe , the National Democratic Force (NDF) has voted to expel its deputy chairman, Thein Nyunt, over “irresponsibility” in disclosing internal party affairs to the media. Thein Nyunt responded that the NDF had failed to conduct an audit of party accounts as promised. “In accordance with party regulations, any member who discloses internal affairs to the public must be expelled. He violated that regulation. He made disclosures … not only to journals but also to his friends,” Khin Maung Swe said. The decision to remove Thein Nyunt came after 12 out of 15 NDF leaders from Rangoon, Mandalay and Tenasserim divisions voted for his expulsion during a meeting on 18 November.