The Irrawaddy Magazine |
| Will 2015 Election be Free and Fair? Posted: 07 Nov 2015 07:24 AM PST
The post Will 2015 Election be Free and Fair? appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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National News |
| Crowd cheers vote count in Mandalay after fears of rigging Posted: 08 Nov 2015 08:06 AM PST To cheers and boos from the watching public, electoral officials in a Mandalay Region township are counting votes one by one in public. The unusual counting method was adopted to allay fears that unqualified voters had been trucked in to rig the result. |
| Voters arrive early in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Posted: 08 Nov 2015 05:25 AM PST By 9:30AM today, most voters in Yangon Region's Mingalar Taung Nyunt township had already cast their votes. Most of the rest seemed to be patiently queuing to do so. |
| Commander votes on behalf of election police officer in Kokang Posted: 08 Nov 2015 03:01 AM PST A member of an election police unit in the Kokang region has told The Myanmar Times that his superior cast an advance vote on their behalf. |
| "Asian politicians are sore losers": Damaso G. Magbual, ANFREL Head of Mission Posted: 08 Nov 2015 02:28 AM PST The Myanmar Times sat down with Damaso G. Magbual, Head of Mission of ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) |
| Senior general promises to respect result, warns public to do the same Posted: 08 Nov 2015 01:51 AM PST Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has promised to respect the outcome of today's landmark election, and said he wants the party that people can "really depend on" to win. |
| Military voters line up in Mandalay Posted: 08 Nov 2015 01:11 AM PST Inside the moat of Mandalay's iconic royal palace, hundreds of mostly military voters are casting their ballots. |
| Military watches over some voters in Taunggyi Posted: 07 Nov 2015 11:43 PM PST There is was overt military security as voters - soldiers, military families and local civilians - lined up to vote in at least one polling station on the outskirts of the Shan State capital of Taunggyi. |
| Soldiers step out of uniforms, into polling stations in Shan State Posted: 07 Nov 2015 11:13 PM PST
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| Counting begins as some polling stations stay open Posted: 07 Nov 2015 10:29 PM PST Myanmar's most inclusive elections in 25 years appeared assured of a high turnout on Sunday as long and anxious queues of voters formed early in the day. The military commander said he would respect the result. |
| Slander letters against NLD were distributed in Mandalay Posted: 07 Nov 2015 09:00 PM PST The National League for Democracy claims a slander campaign is being waged against it in Mandalay's Na Hto Gyi township, with unknown persons repeatedly distributing pamphlets alleging that the party is backed by Muslims. |
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Shan Herald Agency for News |
| “I need to wait to decide how I feel about this election”: Reflections of Panglong voters Posted: 08 Nov 2015 05:11 AM PST  SHAN reporters spoke with locals in Panglong, Loilem Township, southern Shan State, as they exited the polls during Burma's national election today. Voters commonly expressed frustration with long waits, disorganization and crowding. In this area, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) is believed to be the favored party among the public, and many told SHAN that they had voted for SNLD candidates. Loilem Township has an estimated 83,000 voters and is located in the district by the same name, which is home to seven townships in total. Last week SHAN reported that in two of these townships, Kesi and Mong Hsu, voting had been cancelled by the Union Election Commission due to ongoing armed conflict, causing the annulment of over 100,000 votes.
"I got here at 6:15 a.m. We were looking for our names on the voting lists. We had to go to each polling station, one by one. Some people got bored and went back home. All people have their ID cards, but their names are not on the lists. The people responsible for the polling places said they needed to come back in the evening. I need to wait until the evening to decide how I feel about this election. I voted for the SNLD. I like this party. I think they will make a change."
"They were not following the numbers. It is very busy outside, and we cannot go inside. It was crowded, so I will go back home for a while and come back later to vote."
"My name was supposed to be on the list at polling station Number One. But then I was told that my name was not there and I had to go to polling place Number Two. Some people went with me, and they were tired of going back and forth checking for their names, so they went back home. I voted for SNLD, because I like their policies. I voted for SNDP in 2010, but now there are two [Shan] parties so I have a choice...I hope this election will make this country become a democracy and federal union."
"I voted for the SNLD because I believe they will change politics for the better."
"It was very crowded. They were not calling us in the order of our numbers. Whoever got here first, voted first. I heard them call a number over 2000, but I don't understand when each number will be called. The person responsible for the polling place was not managing the people outside. They told us to make three lines, but they didn't enforce it. People didn't listen. I don't understand what they want to do. In my village tract, there are about 1,500 people. Some families were not able to get numbers for everyone in their household."
"I got here at 6 a.m. I waited for one hour to vote. It was crowded for the people here. Now I have voted, and I voted for SNLD. I hope that SNLD wins, because I want the political situation to improve." By NANG HOM AND SIMMA FRANCIS (Shan Herald Agency for News / S.H.A.N) | ||||||||||||
| Eligible voters allegedly disqualified in Namzang Township Posted: 08 Nov 2015 02:19 AM PST Thousands of eligible voters in southern Shan State have not been able to vote in today's national election, according to a candidate from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) in Namzang Township.  Sai Htan Sein, of the SNDP, observed voting processes in Namzang's Loi Yai and Wan Pong Sub-Townships. He told SHAN that many people who possess national IDs and family records are being told that they cannot vote. "There are over 70,000 people in Namzang Township who are eligible to vote. But many of them, particularly in remote areas, are unable to vote," Sai Htan Sein said. "They are very disappointed." He explained that there are many reasons why people might be left off of the list of eligible voters, including a lack of proper identification, which is a common problem for those in rural areas. Some people reportedly only have family records, rather than an ID card, leaving them ineligible to vote. Sai Htan Sein described the election process as "complicated," and alleged that while citizens currently living in villages in Shan State are being made ineligible to vote, those who live in Thailand are still eligible to vote. However, last week, SHAN reportedon the marginalization of Shan migrant workers in Thailand during the election period. Legally, voters must have resided in their homes for 180 days prior to the election, making it difficult for migrants to vote. There have also been inconsistencies reported in overall household eligibility, where some family members are told they are eligible to vote, and others are disqualified. Sai Kyaw Win, a Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) parliamentary candidate in Namzang Township, said that in addition to a high number of disqualified voters, there are voters who have been deemed eligible even though there are mistakes on the voter list regarding their name or gender. "We are not satisfied, but we can't do anything," said Sai Htan Sein. By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N) | ||||||||||||
| Ethnic Politics and the 2015 Elections in Myanmar Posted: 07 Nov 2015 08:32 AM PST Myanmar is heading to the polls in November 2015, with an expected shift in power from the old elite to the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). However it remains unclear whether the new political space created by the transition away from military rule will bring significant legislative power to ethnic nationality-based parties.  Recommendations • The 2015 general election presents an important opportunity to give political voice to Myanmar's diverse ethnic nationality communities and empower them to pursue their aspirations, provided that it is genuinely free and fair. • If successfully held, the general election is likely to mark another key step in the process of national transition from decades of military rule. However the achievement of nationwide peace and further constitutional reform are still needed to guarantee the democratic rights, representation and participation of all peoples in determining the country's future. • Although nationality parties are likely to win many seats in the polls, the impact of identity politics and vote-splitting along ethnic and party lines may see electoral success falling short of expectations. This can be addressed through political cooperation and reform. It is essential for peace and stability that the democratic process offers real hope to nationality communities that they can have greater control over their destiny. • Inequitable distribution of political and economic rights has long driven mistrust and conflict in Myanmar. The 2015 general election must mark a new era of political inclusion, not division, in national politics. After the elections, it is vital that an inclusive political dialogue moves forward at the national level to unite parliamentary processes and ethnic ceasefire talks as a political roadmap for all citizens.  Download : Ethnic Politics and the 2015 Elections in Myanmar(pdf, 268.41 KB) |
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The Irrawaddy Magazine |
| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Nov. 7, 2015) Posted: 06 Nov 2015 06:12 PM PST  Traders Hotel in downtown Rangoon. Around 50 new hotels have opened in Burma over the past year. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) Government Rules on Dollar Transactions 'Unclear,' Warns Lawyer The Burmese government's recent intervention to restrict transactions made in US dollars have left businesses without clarity on when foreign currencies can and cannot be used, according to legal advisory firm VDB Loi. The Central Bank issued new rules in October that canceled the foreign exchange licenses of businesses in a number of sectors, effective from the end of November. The move was seen as an effort to shore up the kyat, which has lost about 20 percent of its value, relative to the dollar, this year. But many businesses saw it as a drastic measure, and a reminder of the ways of Burmese governments of old, which made ill-conceived interventions in Burma's financial system, often at the expense of the country's people. In a briefing note to clients on October 27, VDB Loi partner Edwin Vanderbruggen wrote that while some companies would lose their ability to receive physical cash in foreign currencies, currency obtained otherwise legally can still be exchanged through licensed changers. But he criticized the Bank for being too vague on the measures contained in a letter dated Oct. 13, which followed an earlier letter regarding the use of dollars on May 28. "You can't implement a massive game change in a country's financial policy based on a letter with two paragraphs," he wrote. The "real problem," according to Vanderbruggen, is that the Central Bank's instructions on the issue were ambitious on in which circumstances companies may still conduct business in dollars. "[T]he problem is not that companies suddenly have no way to receive and hold foreign currency," he wrote. "…in all likelihood you are already allowed to open and use a foreign bank account, generally speaking. "Once it is clear a business can indeed receive US$ remittances, there is no issue keeping that currency in its foreign currency bank account. The problem is that there are basically at this time no clear rules setting out when Myanmar residents may uberhaupt [generally] use foreign currency when dealing with each other, and when they may not." Myanmar National Airlines Hires US Marketing Firm Burma's national airline has hired an Arizona-based firm to do marketing and sales work from Singapore, according to press release. In a release on Wednesday carrying the dateline Scottsdale, Ariz., a company named Discover the World said it had agreed to partner with Myanmar National Airlines. The state-owned airline has undergone a rebranding and overhaul that culminated with the launch of its first international flight in years when MNA began flying from Rangoon to Singapore in August. Despite doubts over whether it can compete with foreign-based airlines who have the advantage of offering passengers transcontinental transfers onto their other flights, MNA officials have said they want to expand the international service further. The press release said that Discover the World would be marketing the Singapore flight, as well as an MNA service known as Mingalapar, in which business class passengers are met at Rangoon by an airline representative and fast-tracked through the airport's immigration lines. MNA chief executive Than Tun was quoted in the release praising the deal. "Singapore is the first destination where we plan to expand, given our new B-737-800 aircraft," he was quoted saying. "Since we will have seven weekly flights between Singapore and Yangon that began Oct. 25, we needed to partner with a firm that had vast experience in the marketplace and a professional team possessing a strong, established trade network to help us increase our brand awareness. Discover fit that bill." Burma Gets New Hotels to Cope With Tourism Boom As official tourist figures continue to climb, the number of hotels in Burma is also ramping up, with about 50 new hotels now operating that were not open last year. Tourist arrivals began to boom after Burma's political climate eased from 2012, but in many areas tourism infrastructure was not in place to cope with the new demand. New official figures suggest that the industry has begun to catch up. A report from the Chinese government's English-language newswire, Xinhua, quoted Tin Win, chairman of the Myanmar Hoteliers Association, saying that the country now has 340 hotels compared with 290 in 2014. "[More than 800,000 tourists entered Myanmar by air [or] ship while more than 2.2 million tourists visited the country through border entrances…," the report said, referring to the first nine months of 2015. "Meanwhile, the government has established 17 hotel zones in such areas as Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Bago regions," it added. The government's figures for the number of tourists visiting the country are suspected to be inflated since they include expatriate workers, and are bolstered by day-trippers who only spend a short time in Burma's border towns. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism's total figure for 2014 was 3.05 million visitors, but the government set a target of 5 million visitors for this year. Going even further, Tin Win was cited by Xinhua giving the ambitious prediction that 10 million foreign tourists will visit Burma in 2016. India Nixes Barter Trade Across the Border India's central bank has put an end to so-called barter trade across the country's border with Burma, according to reports in the Indian media. A report in the Economic Times newspaper said that goods have long been exchanged on the border without the use of money in order to "facilitate" the exchange of certain commodities that India buys from Burma, including mustard, pulses and fresh vegetables. The report said that the Reserve Bank of India had issued a statement saying that the system will come to an end from Dec. 1. It said the move was the result of improved access to banking in the border region. "Over a period of time the trade basket has diversified and adequate banking presence is in place to support normal trade with Myanmar," the central bank was quoted saying. "It has, therefore, been decided, in consultation with Government of India, to do away with the barter system of trade at the Indo-Myanmar border and switch over completely to normal trade." Telenor Subscribers Reach 11.8 Million Norway-based telecommunications company Telenor says it added 2.3 million new subscribers during between July and September, according to a new company report. The company's third quarter interim report said that Telenor Myanmar's revenues were about $390 million in the first nine months of 2015. "In Myanmar, the solid momentum continued. After a year of building network coverage in cities and larger towns, Telenor is now continuing its expansion into rural townships and villages," the report said. The firm only launched its services in 2014, and has accelerated ahead of Qatar's Ooredoo in terms of subscribers. "Telenor Myanmar added 2.3 million new subscriptions during the third quarter," a note in the report said. By the end of the third quarter a total of 11.8 million subscriptions were recorded, of which 57% were active data users." The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Nov. 7, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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National News |
| Muse residents still confused over voter lists Posted: 07 Nov 2015 07:07 AM PST The head of the election commission in Muse District on the border with China has denied that migrants will be able to vote without showing evidence of having resided in the trading town for the requisite 180 days, despite rumours to the contrary and rumours about polling rules. |
| All calm in Taunggyi on election eve Posted: 07 Nov 2015 06:34 AM PST At the district headquarters of the Union Electoral Commission in the Shan state capital of Taunggyi, chair U Tin Oo is running an operation that appears to be a model of efficiency. |
| Election to go ahead under martial law, commission vows Posted: 07 Nov 2015 06:04 AM PST
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| Parliament likely to see more women than ever before Posted: 07 Nov 2015 01:26 AM PST When Myanmar goes to the polls on November 8 for what are being billed as the first democratic elections in decades, voters will have the chance to choose from almost eight times as many female candidates as in the previous national elections of 2010. |
| Kachin candidates campaign for peace, federalism Posted: 07 Nov 2015 12:45 AM PST
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Shan Herald Agency for News |
| SNDP and SNLD candidates: advanced voting not transparent Posted: 07 Nov 2015 06:51 AM PST On the day before Burma's November 8 election, candidates from two major Shan parties shared concerns with SHAN about the reliability of the country's advanced voting process.  Sai Mon Lern, who is competing on behalf of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) for a State Assembly seat in Mong Nai Township, said that he has doubts about the validity of the electoral process. "What they [the Election Commission] are doing is not transparent," he said. "We requested that they use glue to stick the ballot bags closed in order to keep the ballots safe, but we were denied that by the Election Commission." He said that electoral officials told him this practice could damage the marked ballots. Sai Mon Lern's concerns also extend to the ballot boxes, where completed votes are submitted; he alleged that no one knows where the advanced voters' ballots are kept after they have been collected. Problems have also been reported in Mong Yang Township within Kengtung District, in eastern Shan State. "There are a lot of tokens left, so I'm worried that anyone can take them and cast a vote," said Sai Laung, a candidate from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) in Mong Yang Township, referring to the registration papers given to eligible voters. He said that in order to avoid fraud, SNDP had requested that voters bring their national ID cards along with the token when they cast their ballots. But, he alleged that election officials are no longer requiring additional ID, and that the token can serve as sufficient identification to vote. Both Sai Mon Lern (SNLD) and Sai Laung (SNDP) claimed that the names of deceased people have reportedly been found on voting lists, but often the people currently living in the location in question are not included. There are a lot of mistakes, they said, involving names, parents' names, ages and ID numbers, which are all required for voter registration in Burma. According to a report on Tai Freedom's Shan Language website on Saturday, in Mongpeng Township within Kengtung District, the names of the deceased allegedly surfaced as participants during the advanced voting process. "I don't think it is a free and fair election," Sai Mon Lern said. By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) | ||
| Cancellations leave 100,000 unable to vote in central Shan State Posted: 07 Nov 2015 04:12 AM PST Due to polling cancellations in two townships, over 100,000 central Shan State citizens will not be able to cast votes on November 8, local election officials confirmed on Friday. Officials from Township Election Commissions in Mong Hsu and Kesi corroborated to SHAN the registration of 50,365 and 51,362 eligible voters in the two townships, respectively.
The Union Election Commission announced on October 27 that voting had been cancelled in the whole of the two townships, both located in Loilem District. The annulment was allegedly due to conditions created by active conflict between the Burma Army and the Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N), affecting 22 villages and causing the displacement of 6,000 civilians in the area. Nang Ying, 30, delivered voter education courses in her native Mong Hsu. On behalf of locals in the area, she expressed frustration with the UEC's decision. "They know all about how to vote," she said of the villagers who attended her trainings. "They are unsatisfied because they expected to be able to vote and now they are not able to. They lost that right." It was reported that the UEC's decision came just over a week after the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) requested the cancellation on October 19, due to fighting. The area is perceived as being more supportive of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), who opposed the closure of polls and requested a formal evaluation of whether this action was necessary. Nang Ying said that locals wanted both an end to recent military offensives and a chance to participate in the country's election. "Firstly, we want the fighting to end," Nang Ying said. "And we want to be able to vote like other townships." In total, voting has now been cancelled in areas within 17 townships in Shan State, including 42 village tracts in Hopang Township, in the Wa Self-Administered Division, and eight village tracts in Tang Yan Township in northern Shan State. A local source who collected demographic data for Burma's 2014 census estimated on Friday that the move in Tang Yan would affect 10,000 voters. At the time of reporting, SHAN was not able to confirm the number of voters left out in Hopang. By SIMMA FRANCIS / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N) Reporting by SAI YIPHONG / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N) | ||
| GENUINE PEACE: The Wish of Ethnic Nationalities from November Elections Outcome Posted: 06 Nov 2015 10:55 PM PST On the eve of the 8 November election, roughly about four to six scenario focus has been making the rounds.  On 6 November, Myanmar Now and BBC publicized a series of post-election scenarios. The former has a likely outcome of six, while the latter has four scenarios. The combined gist of it could be listed as below: · The NLD needs to win two-thirds of all the contested seats and will only be achievable if it wins large numbers of seats outside the areas dominated by the ethnic Bamar, the dominant group in Burma. · If the NLD fails to win the required two-thirds of the contested seats, they will have to reach out to "friendly" ethnic parties. This should be relatively straightforward, though relations have been strained by the NLD's decision to run candidates in ethnic minority areas. · Aung San Suu Kyi's party win the most seats, but a coalition of the USDP, some ethnic parties and the 25% of the army enables the military candidate to take the presidency. · USDP winning the most seats is an option so unlikely that most would immediately assume that the results had been rigged. Ms Suu Kyi's party would almost certainly walk out of parliament. · The worst case scenarios will be that the NLD performs poorly amid evidence of widespread intimidation, interference with the voting process and voter fraud. International election observers declare the election results non-credible. · Suu Kyi calls on voters and the international community to condemn the results and to mount pressure on the government. She seeks political avenues to challenge the results while urging her supporters to remain calm. · Or alternatively, an overwhelming victory by the NLD prompts a backlash by reactionary forces, including military hardliners, the Buddhist nationalist Ma Ba Tha movement and USDP supporters. The groups start to foment instability across the country. · In both scenarios, with the increased likelihood of civil disobedience and wide-scale civil revolt, the military declares a state of emergency under the guise of securing stability. It uses its power to suspend the Constitution indefinitely and establishes a military administration. It says it will return governance to quasi-civilian rule only when it can assure the country's stability. (Sources: Myanmar Now & BBC , 6 November) What the non-Bamar ethnic nationalities want While the most Burmese are eyeing for more individual freedom and democracy to replace the quasi-civilian regime of Thein Sein, dominated by the military, the non-Bamar ethnic nationalities and minorities are burdened with an extra duty to strive for the rights of self-determination and wrestle back their rightful, justified political power and resources sharing, couple with maintaining their ethnic identities, the right to live as decent human beings free from oppression and military occupation. As all know, the Bamar-dominated Burma Army or Tatmadaw has been occupying and oppressing the ethnic nationalities, under the guise of national unity and protecting the country's sovereignty, for as long as we could remember and there is really no hint that this will be coming to an end soon. The recent ongoing partial-ceasefire, dubbed nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) is a fraud and this is not going to lead to any sort of peaceful reconciliation, without genuine political will and forsaking ethnocentrism from the part of the Burmese center. The fact that out of 100,000 ethnic armed troopers, only some 10,000 have signed the partial-ceasefire is the case in point. And even though the present regime has time and again publicized that it will continue to solicit and woo the remaining ethnic armed organizations to participate in its initiated NCA, its escalation of war on the Shan, Kachin, Palaung and Kokang ethnic forces indicates just the opposite of its real intention. We also don't need to emphasize much on decades long human rights violations in ethnic homelands for there are ample documentations by internationally known rights groups, from extra-judicial killings, rapes, tortures, disappearances without traces to unjustified detentions are widespread, needless to mention about thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons, who are waiting to go home. But if the present or the new in-coming regime would really like to right this wrong, that has been going on for decades, the best place to start is ending the " institutionalized violence" against the ethnic population and the organizations that represent them. The immediate pressing need Thus, the immediate pressing need is to remove the obstacle of waging an institutionalized war on the ethnic nationalities, so as to make a start on basic requirement of a peaceful atmosphere, which have been lacking in the ethnic homelands, embroiled in armed conflict caused by the successive Bamar-dominated governments, Thein Sein regime included. Thus the election outcome wishes for the ethnic groups would be, without doubt, a durable, long-lasting and implementable nationwide ceasefire, not a fake two-tier war and peace situation, like it is now. In this respect, the ethnic groups would heartily welcome any national government formation that could deliver the said conditions. The reality of the occupation wars occurring in ethnic homelands have its origin in the fact that the Burmese political class, whether it be the military or Burmese opposition groups, refuses to accept the fact that it is also an equal party with the other non-Bamar ethnic groups and not their overlord, within the Union; and that the country's sovereignty is also a shared one with all ethnic nationalities residing within the Union and not a monopoly sphere of the Bamar only. In fact, the independence achieved from the British in 1947, is also a co-independence shared between the Bamar and non-Bamar ethnic nationalities. If this doing away with the institutionalized violence or war could be done, then we will all be able to defuse the armed conflicts that have been going on and sit down to actually talk about the equitable power and resources sharing. But first and foremost the war has to be stopped, by all means. Sai Nyunt Lwin, Secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, rightly said in a recent DVB debate, moderated by Myo Thar Htet, that unilateral ceasefire declaration is the only way out of this deadlock. He must have meant to say that it is the sole avenue, to overcome the perception of Burmese Army's intention to subjugate the ethnic groups, through suppression and occupation of their homelands. And only after this, a serious negotiation, on rebuilding the shattered confidence and equitable federal union could begin. For now, the EAOs and the ethnic nationalities could only hope that the next incoming government could deliver real peace and brings the unruly military under its control, if earnest peace and reconciliation process are to begin. |
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