Taking a stand: A file photo showing a man protesting beside a picture of Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the Myanmar military junta outside the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok. — AFP
The country’s military government took an early step toward holding parliamentary elections, but it did so by imposing strict rules on political parties that may make fair balloting difficult.
Myanmar has been under sanctions, including by the US and EU, since the coup in 2021 that toppled the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Seeking to ease international pressure, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing had previously said parliamentary elections would likely be held by August this year.
As an early step in the election process, the military issued a 20-page law prescribing complicated and rigorous rules for political parties hoping to compete. These rules could block Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, which won the 2020 election by a landslide despite the junta’s claim of voter fraud dismissed by international observers. For instance, a party could be dissolved if it is declared unlawful or is alleged to have communications with terrorist organisations.
The junta has handed 33-year imprisonment to Suu Kyi and jailed a number of other key party leaders including former president Win Myint, keeping them out of national politics. The shadow National Unity Government aligned with Suu Kyi urged people to oppose “sham” elections.
In another sign that elections are drawing close, the National Defence and Security Council will meet next week in which Hlaing is likely to hand over power to the council as no further extensions on the state of emergency can be permitted under the constitution. Elections have to be carried out within six months after the end of emergency rule.
In November, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the international community to deny the military any credibility it sought by holding a national election that didn’t “meaningfully engage with pro-democracy leaders.”“The regime’s planned sham elections, which could not possibly be free and fair in the current context, will only fuel more violence, prolong the crisis, and defer the country’s transition to democracy and stability,” he said. — Bloomberg
