Postponing of the election, a milestone in the country’s transition from military dictatorship to democracy, would likely be a blow to President Thein Sein’s legacy after he invited hundreds of worldwide observers to witness the voting.
Advertisement
On Tuesday, Union Election Commission (UEC) chair U Tin Aye raised the idea, also citing the recent cancellation of voting in northern ethnic areas due to security concerns.
Instead, U Tin Aye said that the lingering effects of flooding that swept the country in July and August, killing more than 100 people, cast doubt on whether the election could be held fairly in flood-hit areas.
Representatives from seven of the 10 political parties invited to the meeting were present, including the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the National League for Democracy (NLD), the National Democratic Force, the National Development Party (NDP), Arakan National Party, the National Unity Party and the Myanmar Farmers Development Party (MFDP).
The election commissioner said a decision whether or not to postpone the election would soon be announced.
But he said the NLD and Suu Kyi vehemently opposed it while the ruling party was supportive. However, the UEC has the authority to act on the issue with or without the approval of political parties.
“According to campaign rules, when (someone) requests permission, they need to give permission right away”, Thant Zin Aung, an official from the Union Election Commission in Yangon told AFP.
“It is still undecided yet whether to postpone the election”. Parts of western Myanmar, including the impoverished Chin state, were devastated by the disaster.
“This is a false excuse, the disasters in Chin and flooding are quite negotiable”, said Win Htein. The government is trying to reach a ceasefire agreement with multiple insurgent groups.
The United Nations says a million people have been affected by the floods, in which 15,000 houses were destroyed.
An official announcement from the Election Commission was pending at time of writing.
Advertisement
The election follows a period of reform and opening up to investment in the former pariah state, after the junta ceded power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011. Three parties expressed no opinion and three others were absent from the meeting.
