A proposal to postpone elections in Myanmar caused an outcry among democratic forces on Tuesday, and the government then issued a public reassurance that the voting would take place as scheduled on Nov. 8.
The fear and confusion over a possible delay reflected underlying mistrust among democratic forces of the military establishment, the bureaucracy and Burmese President Thein Sein’s administration.
Former soldier and Union Election Commission chairman Tin Aye on Tuesday summoned representatives of political parties and proposed a postponement on the grounds that some areas of the nation struck by flooding in July and August might not be ready to accommodate voters by the time of the election.
However, analysts and members of opposition parties immediately questioned the motives behind the proposal at a time when Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party is showing signs of strong support.
Political analyst Yan Myo Thein said the proposal showed that the election commission and 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.”
On Tuesday evening, state media announced that after “considering the consequences” of a delay, the decision was made to hold the election as planned.
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 Burmese 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 are set to freely challenge the military’s dominance. The military canceled the results of the 1990 elections after 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.
Tin Aye in June was quoted in local news reports as saying that he is still loyal to the military and the governing party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
“I love my organization,” he said in remarks reported by news Web site Irrawaddy. “I love the military. I am willing to sacrifice my life for them. I want the USDP to win, but to win fairly, not by cheating.”
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