Myanmar has invited election observers from the US, the EU and the UN for its closely watched by-elections next month, a government official said yesterday.
They would join about two dozen poll observers being sent by fellow members of ASEAN.
“It will be like a joint team with ASEAN, the EU, the US and the UN,” said the Myanmar official, who did not want to be named.
“It will be up to the countries whether they send people from overseas or inside Myanmar,” he said, without specifying how many observers would be allowed for the April 1 polls.
The vote, which will see Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi stand for a seat in parliament for the first time, are viewed as a key test of the government’s reform credentials a year after the end of military rule.
The US embassy in Yangon welcomed the move to allow international scrutiny of the polls.
“This is encouraging to see that they have taken this step. Clearly we feel the elections are important for this country’s reform process,” US embassy spokesperson Mike Quinlan said.
However, he said reports of irregularities in the voting process and cases of alleged intimidation also needed to be addressed.
“Having observers is one step, but to to have a free and fair election there really should be no violence and intimidation as well,” Quinlan said.
A 2010 election that swept the army’s political allies to power was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and intimidation. Foreign election observers and international media were not allowed into the country, with the opposition and Western powers denouncing the vote as lacking legitimacy.
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