ELECTION DAY MARRED BY FRAUD

Posted By: Kate McConaughy
To: Members in One Million Faces Against the Inhumane Treatment of Activists Imprisoned in Burma
Election Day Marred by Fraud, Intimidation

IRRAWADDY By BA KAUNG
By 10 a.m. On Sunday, a ghostly silence had descended on the polling stations in Rangoon. Local media estimated that voter turnout was low for the first general election in 20 years. Despite having four million eligible voters in the former capital, no queues of more than 100 people were seen at polling stations in the early morning.
But in other cities, such as Pegu, there were reports of as many as 1,000 voters showing up at a time. Even so, the voters who decided to go to the polling stations were faced with fraud and intimidation in different parts of the country, according to major opposition parties.

“The polling station officials themselves ticked the “Lion” symbol of the junta's party on behalf of the voters,” said 32-year-old Khin Maung Than, a candidate for the National Democratic Force (NDF), referring to the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He was competing for a parliamentary seat in Kyaukse Township in Mandalay Division against the Burmese Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung, a top USDP candidate who is one of the most trusted subordinates of junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and is believed to be overseeing the alleged nuclear weapons program.
“The voters were threatened with jail sentences if they chose to vote for the NDF,” said Khin Maung Than, adding that the public in Than Shwe's native town were so fearful of these threats that they were believed to be voting for the USDP.
“There is little or no chance of my winning here. But we showed that we dared to compete with them,” he said. The NDF party chairman, Dr. Than Nyein, in Rangoon also said that he has received reports of voters being intimidated into voting for the USDP in at least 10 locations, including Thingangyun, Thaketa and Kayan townships in Rangoon, Thabeikkyin Township in Mandalay and Kamma Township in Magwe Division.

“The polling station officials themselves urged the voters to vote for USDP,” he said. “I have asked our candidates to record those incidents and make complaints.” The Democratic Party (Myanmar), the second-largest pro-democracy party in Rangoon, also complained about lack of proper procedures at polling stations.

“The ballot boxes were neither sealed nor tied with ropes. Half of the 10 polling staff were out for lunch in Pathein Nyunt Ward in Mingalar Tuangnyunt Township in Rangoon. We are extremely disappointed,” said Hla Myint, the spokesman for the Democratic Party (Myanmar). “When we asked the officials for the voter list, we were rebuffed,” he said.

“Things are now in very bad shape.” Thu Wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), said there is a lack of secrecy in the voting process. “Everyone can see who you are voting for. It is a complete disappointment,” he said. An NDF campaign manager in Burma's second largest city, Mandalay, Dr. Hla Soe Nyunt, said that he had seen a woman, believed to be a USDP member, stuffing four ballots in a single box in Maha Aung Myay Township. Despite these voting irregularities, the NDF was reputed to be the most popular party in Rangoon among voters leaving polling stations.

“I voted for NDF because I hate the USDP,” said one. But one of the party's main candidates in Tavoy Township said that he has already lost hope of a fair result after villagers in the area were forced to vote for the USDP in advance. Meanwhile, ethnic opposition parties said that they were confident of a victory since ethnic minority people would almost certainly select their own ethnic parties.
Several ethnic politicians said they expected to win the vote despite the high number of alleged cases in which USDP members were forcing people to vote for their party.
The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, the All Mon Region Democracy Party and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) were reportedly doing well in their respective ethnic areas. “We are doing very well,” said Sai Aik Pao, the SNDP chairman.

“But it would have been far better if we had not faced such dishonest advance voting for the USDP.” He said he had reported the alleged cases to Election Commission officials, and requested that the voters in question were allowed to recast their votes in secret. At the close of the day's voting, he had still received no response.
Party representatives said they were still hoping for an unbiased and transparent vote count, but were far from positive about whether that would happen in their respective areas.

“Our greatest worry now is about vote-counting,” Than Nyein said. “Polling officials who have clearly been involved in a fraudulent voting process must be suspect in the counting process too.” http://www.mizzima.com/news/world/4550-obama-denounces-burma-polls-calls-to-free-suu-kyi-.html