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Burma closes polling stations
Update: May 10, 2008 17:30 - Burma Standard Time
Despite appeals by the international communities and internal political parties to postpone the date because of the devastations caused by the Cyclone Nargis, Burma's ruling junta has begun referendum polling on a draft constitution today, with voters across the country going to the booths and casting their votes since 6 a.m (local time).
The government, in its state-run Television, has continuously broadcast songs exhorting people to go to polling booths and vote in favor of the draft constitution.
However, voters in several places said, the procedures are flawed as many are turn away by the authorities from the booths, saying they have cast their votes in advance.
Mizzima will continue updating the glimpses on the voters and the polling booths across the country.
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Secret counting
Update: May 10, 2008 20:55 - Burma Standard Time
Interview with Thein Pe, Vice Chairman of the NLD in Arakan State
"It was a tragic scene after the polls were closed today. When the clock struck 4 p.m. officials did not allow any body to stay back for the counting. They closed the door, and every one of us had to come back. They even chased away those who stay near the polling station. But we got information from the Chaungkauk ward ballot station. It says that 98 percent voted 'No'. Out of more than 1,000 voters, there were only about 20 people who voted 'yes'. But the sad thing is out of all the 'No' votes about 60 percent are considered as abstained. What they do is that, if the lines for the crosses are slightly not straight then they declare it as abstained. We also had to carefully put the cross on our ballot papers. So, for people who are old and illiterate, it is difficult for them to write and most of them would be treated as abstained."
Doubts over counting and results
Update: May 10, 2008 20:35 - Burma Standard Time
Interview with a businessman in Shwe Bo town of Sagaing Division
"Here the authorities since yesterday began asking people whether they would like to cast their votes in advance. They said they will have to cast the votes in front of them. If the people wanted to cast at the polling station, they gave three ballot papers."
"I told them, I would cast my vote at the polling booth and at 8 a.m. I went and cast it. There were a lot of people who took advance ballots. Since they took it in advance and they are associated with the authorities, their votes could be assumed to have supported the constitution. But most of us who went to the booth voted 'No'."
"There were a few firefighters as security in our place. All together there were about 15 people. As far as I could see, most people did not take interest in the constitution. Those people who listen to the radio would definitely vote 'No'. But the authorities took the effort to campaign for 'Yes' votes. During their campaign, they spoke softly. I think they might just turn all the votes into 'Yes'.
"I had a chance to vote during the BSPP rule, during that time I voted for 'Black' to oppose it but my vote went to 'White' as support. During the 1990 election, our elders told us that even if you vote black it could be turned into white."
Members of Women's Affairs harass with voters
Update: May 10, 2008 20:15 - Burma Standard Time
A member of referendum watch in Myingyan, Mandalay Division
"Here in Myingyan, the referendum polling is a mess. Voters, especially women, were being harassed by members of the USDA and women's affairs group at the entrance and were being forced to vote 'Yes'. They even snatched the ballots and forced them to tick 'Yes'. Even if people wanted the ballots returned these people would tick 'yes' on their behalf and put it in the boxes. The worse areas were ward no. 19, 17, 18, 6, and 11. So, people are unhappy and did not want to go to vote."
"A few outspoken women went and complain to the commissioner but were ignored."
Thaungthar Town, Mandalay
Residents in Thaungthar town of Mandalay division, which is the birth place of Burma's famous poet Tin Moe, said officials at the polling stations, had place pens without ink. And when voters asked for proper pens, the official took their votes and ticked 'yes' on their behalf. Residents said this disheartened people many were not willing to go to the polling stations.
Atmosphere of fear forced voters to support constitution
Update: May 10, 2008 18:50 - Burma Standard Time
Interview with a few voters in Tamu town of Sagaing division:
A male voter
"I went to cast my vote at the No. 12 polling station. I went at about 10 a.m. As I still want to stay in this country, and do not want any kind of trouble, I cast the 'Yes' vote. Even if I cast the 'No' it does not make any difference, because they will turn it into 'Yes'. There was only one ballot box. We had to cast the votes in front of the security personnel such as firefighters, Red Cross, police and soldiers. There were about 15 of them. There were both inside the station and outside. There were only about 20 voters when I went.
People whose names have not been registered were also allowed to vote if they could show their identity cards or give a detail of their address.
There were no photographs taken, and no journalists were around. All telephone lines, were disconnected since yesterday. The markets and bazaars are all open today.
Voters make choice in the dark
Interview with a roadside vendor in Tamu Town of Sagaing division
"I went to cast my vote at the No. 5 govt. School in Tamu. There was one cameraman taking pictures. I went in the early morning, and there were about 10 people in the polling station. I signed against my name and was given a ballot paper. And there were two boxes with some words written on them. But since the room was dark I could not make out which box was for what, and I just cast my vote in one of them. There were about five security personnel. The Namphalong market on the Indo-Burmese border trade point, was closed this morning but was re-opened at about 10 a.m."
"I do not have any feelings or hopes about casting my vote. I just cast a 'yes' vote, to be rid of the burden."
A man who do not vote in Tamu town
"Since Namphalong is a small town, it does not make any difference who comes to power. People went to vote at the Namphalong school. But I did not go to vote, because I do not feel it would make any difference."
Concern for fair vote counting in Mandalay
Though the voting seems free and fair enough at the No. 1 polling station in Mandalay's Maha Aung Myea, local residents said there is a concern over the counting as it is still unknown where they will take the votes for counting.
A local resident said, "Here there is no security needed as most of the residents came from the same village and resides here, everyone is comfortable with each other. There were about six security personnel. There are also four school teachers, they distributed the ballot to us."
"We could cast the ballots quite freely, everyone is known to each other, so we cast what ever we wanted to. We did what we always have been doing, we crossed the ballots. We heard that in other places it was not this free."
"In our station there were about 18 rooms. Out of 8 wards it was divided into two stations. So, one station includes people from three wards. There are about 100 people. Our family went and cast votes too. We also met our relatives who came from the village to cast their votes."
"The weather was a little bit bad with clouds but everything was cool. But we don't know where the authorities will take the boxes and count the votes."
Another voter in Mandalay
"Everything went smoothly in the polling station at the 40th and 80th Street. corner. I don't know about other places but here everything is fine. If things are like this everywhere I will be satisfied, but I don't think in other place it would be same as our place."
Voters unhappy unlike 1990 general election,
Update: May 10, 2008 18:30 - Burma Standard Time
A woman voter of 50 from Dukathaung Ward, Myitkyinar, capital of Kachin State, said that the voters were unhappy about casting their votes in an atmosphere of fear and not in a free and fair manner, unlike the 1990 general election.
"We had to stand in a queue at 6 a.m. at the polling station. There were 7 polling stations in our ward. Most of the voters cast the 'No' vote, I too, cast the 'No' vote. No restrictions were there, we can cast our votes freely. There are 7 polling stations in Dukathaung ward. From No. 8 to No. 12 polling stations are at the State High School No. 7. Though security personnel were deployed at the polling stations, there was no harassment. After voting, we registered our names. The government is taking photographs and video clips. The main thoroughfares in Myitkyinar have been closed since yesterday night. I think the market was closed by itself. More than half of the shops were closed today," she said.
"The referendum held today is quite different from 1990 general elections. It is not as free and fair as it was in 1990 general elections. In many cases the government pushed and coerced voters to cast the 'Yes' vote only. So we are unhappy with this situation," she added.
"All the people from Dukathaung feel sorry for the storm victims. We can't do anything for them except express our sorrow and sympathy," she further said.
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