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Myanmar Is Said to Consider Postponing Election in November Myanmar Government Seeks to Calm Fears of Election Postponement
(about 5 hours later)
BANGKOK — The timing of Myanmar’s coming national elections was thrown into doubt on Tuesday when a senior official summoned representatives of political parties and told them that he was considering a postponement, a participant in the meeting said. BANGKOK — A proposal to postpone elections in Myanmar caused an outcry among democratic forces Tuesday, and the government then issued a public reassurance that the voting would take place as scheduled on Nov. 8.
The official, U Tin Aye, a former soldier who represented the governing party before taking his post as leader of the election commission, told those gathered in Naypyidaw, the capital, that he was concerned that areas of the country struck by flooding in July and August might not be ready to accommodate voters by the election on Nov. 8. The fear and confusion over a possible delay reflected underlying mistrust among democratic forces of the military establishment, including the bureaucracy and the current government of President Thein Sein.
Analysts and members of opposition parties immediately questioned the motives behind the proposal at a time when the powerful military’s archrival, the party of the Nobel Peace laureate and leader of Myanmar’s democracy movement, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is showing signs of strong support. Early on Tuesday, U Tin Aye, a former soldier who represented the governing party before taking his current post as leader of the election commission, summoned representatives of political parties and proposed a postponement on the grounds that some areas of the country struck by flooding in July and August might not be ready to accommodate voters by the time of the election.
U Win Htein, a senior member of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party who was at the meeting, said the election commission “told us they wanted to postpone the elections due to natural disasters.” But analysts and members of opposition parties immediately questioned the motives behind the proposal at a time when the powerful military’s political rival, the party of the Nobel peace laureate and leader of Myanmar’s democracy movement, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is showing signs of strong support.
National law allows the commission to push back or cancel elections in areas struck by natural disasters or security problems. U Yan Myo Thein, a political analyst, said the proposal showed that the election commission and Mr. Thein Sein were “not sincere and trustworthy in politics.”
Mr. Win Htein said he was the only dissenting voice at the meeting. The military-backed governing party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, and two additional parties agreed to the proposal, he said, while the other parties present abstained.
U Thein Oo, a spokesman for the commission, said “some parties” at the meeting had requested that voting be delayed. “We will postpone if it is needed,” he said. “But we haven’t decided yet.”
The elections are a major test for the military establishment in Myanmar. For the first time since 1990, parties will be freely challenging the military’s dominance. The military canceled the results of the 1990 elections after Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, won in a landslide. The military then continued its dictatorial rule until 2011, when a nominally civilian government took over.
U Yan Myo Thein, a political analyst, said the possible postponement of the Nov. 8 vote showed that the election commission and President Thein Sein were “not sincere and trustworthy in politics.”
“The ruling party and their allies fear the mounting strength of Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said. “They need more days to prepare their lines of defense and prepare new strategies and tactics for securing seats in Parliament by any means.”“The ruling party and their allies fear the mounting strength of Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said. “They need more days to prepare their lines of defense and prepare new strategies and tactics for securing seats in Parliament by any means.”
The flooding in remote parts of the country this summer was severe, and experts had raised the possibility of a postponement in those areas. But democracy activists said on Tuesday that they were bracing for a more comprehensive delay. On Tuesday evening, state media announced that after “considering the consequences” of a delay, the decision was made to hold the election as planned.
“If the elections are postponed in cities like Yangon and Mandalay, it means something is wrong here,” said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a longtime member of the democracy movement who is running as an independent candidate for Parliament. The flooding in remote parts of the country this summer was severe, and experts had raised the possibility of a postponement in those areas.
Although national law allows the commission to delay or cancel elections in areas struck by natural disasters or security problems, opposition leaders said they saw no reason all voting should be postponed.
The elections are a major test for the military establishment in Myanmar. For the first time since 1990, parties will freely challenge the military’s dominance. The military canceled the results of the 1990 elections after Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, won in a landslide. The military then continued its dictatorial rule until 2011, when a nominally civilian government took over.
The government has vowed to respect the results of the election, but members of the opposition said they were wary of the military’s continued influence.The government has vowed to respect the results of the election, but members of the opposition said they were wary of the military’s continued influence.
Mr. Tin Aye of the election commission was quoted in June as saying that he was still loyal to the military and the governing party, also known as the U.S.D.P. Mr. Tin Aye, the election commission chief, was quoted in news media in Myanmar in June as saying that he was still loyal to the military and the governing party, also known as the U.S.D.P.
“I love my organization,” he was quoted as saying by Irrawaddy, the online news site. “I love the military. I am willing to sacrifice my life for them.” He continued: “I want the U.S.D.P. to win, but to win fairly, not by cheating.” “I love my organization,” he said in remarks reported by Irrawaddy, a news website. “I love the military. I am willing to sacrifice my life for them.” He continued, “I want the U.S.D.P. to win, but to win fairly, not by cheating.”