April 1st will see, unless scuttled by the government, open elections for the first time since 1990 in Myanmar. In 1990 the results were nullified by the government when the National League for Democracy (NLD) was the apparent winner of most parliament seats. In 2012 the government, represented by the Union for Solidarity and Development Pary (USDP) has already begun to act in ways that undermine the growth of open participatory democracy.
USDP candidates are accused of buying votes and promising infrastructure improvements to neighborhoods that vote for the USDP candidate. The government recently banned the use of public sports stadiums for political rallies by the NLD. Aung San Suu Kyi (the leader of the NLD) has complained of errors in voter lists that count some people multiple times, omit some potential voters, and in a Kennedy and Daley-esque move includes numerous dead people.
Of course, we will not get to see Jimmy Carter return to the field to monitor free and fair elections either. Just my two cents here, but maybe Jimmy Carter not being involved isn't so bad. Myanmar's President, Thein Sein, has vowed that only monitors from ASEAN might be considered. Myanmar is scheduled to be the chair of ASEAN in 2014, hmm.
Well good luck Myanmar. I hope the elections are free and fair. I hope that Europe and the U.S. dismantle economic sanctions and political sanctions soon.
USDP candidates are accused of buying votes and promising infrastructure improvements to neighborhoods that vote for the USDP candidate. The government recently banned the use of public sports stadiums for political rallies by the NLD. Aung San Suu Kyi (the leader of the NLD) has complained of errors in voter lists that count some people multiple times, omit some potential voters, and in a Kennedy and Daley-esque move includes numerous dead people.
Of course, we will not get to see Jimmy Carter return to the field to monitor free and fair elections either. Just my two cents here, but maybe Jimmy Carter not being involved isn't so bad. Myanmar's President, Thein Sein, has vowed that only monitors from ASEAN might be considered. Myanmar is scheduled to be the chair of ASEAN in 2014, hmm.
Well good luck Myanmar. I hope the elections are free and fair. I hope that Europe and the U.S. dismantle economic sanctions and political sanctions soon.
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