Election Preparations

Eligible voters list

Official Developments:

3 Nov 2010 - Voting has been canceled in 12 more village areas in six constituencies in Kayah state due to "inconducive conditions".

1 Nov 2010 - Foreign diplomats and Burmese journalists working for foreign news media will be able to visit carefully selected polling stations on election day.

16 Sept 2010 - Eligible voters' list announced throughout the country by local election sub-commissions [announcement No.(104/2010)]

13 Aug 2019 - Election date announcement

20 Mar 2010 - Self-Administered Divisions and Self-Administered Zones + district and townships + divisions as Regions

11 March 2010 - Election Commission formed

8 March 2010 - Election Laws announced

Regime's Election Meetings

2010.08.13-16	USDA's “election victory campaign” meeting attended by Snr. Than Shwe
2010.05.24-28	Quarterly government meeting on Election
2010.02.06	UMFCC talk on “How Countries Democratize”
2009.12.31	Strategic cabinet Chaired by Gen. General Than Shwe
2009.12.07-08	Rakhine SPDC election meeting

ELECTION DAY PREPARATIONS

On election day, the electoral officers will arrange one ballot room for 500 voters. Five cubic voting rooms for each assembly will be set up so that five voters can cast their votes at the same time.

To ensure that voters can vote for their desired political parties systematically in the coming election, the State Own Radio and TV started broadcasting "Voting system" education program.

Burma's immigration department has been issuing ID cards to citizens so they will be able to vote in election.

Advance-vote casting date will be announced a few days before election date. To apply for advance-vote casting, individuals will have to provide adequate evidence such as medical leave, emergency trips to the election commission.

Permissions to campaign

2010.10.20	Yangon Municipality notified political parties that if their campaign billboards are not removed on November 7, they will be fined 50000 kyat per day.
2010.09.21	Permission to use billboard for campaign was granted
2010.03.17	The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), issued a statement saying that registered political parties can publish election-related materials, but have to apply to the censorship board to publish materials in accord with the 1962 Printing and Publishing Act within 90 days of their official registration with the Election Commission.
2010.09.14	The Union Election Commission issued Notification No. 98/2010 (The right to canvass on radio and TV) and and No. 97/2010 (Granting permission to subsist as political parties, and dissolving political parties by revoking registration). Political Parties will be allowed to broadcast their election Campaigns (including party songs) on State-Own radio and TV for 15 minutes.

Efforts to ensure fair election practices

sample_ballot_box

The Election Commission officer said voters will be allowed to to change their ballots if they mistakenly tick the wrong candidate. People can report corrupt practices if they find out that either members of election commission or local authorities are collecting money for election. The commission will prosecute such abuse of powers according to laws.

The Yangon Western district election commission said that transparent plastic ballot boxes will be used in November 2010 election in order to reflect free and fair election.

At an election demonstration at Hla Thara township, Area (2), an official from Yangon District election commission explained that the ballot boxes will be emptied in front of candidate representatives and locked until the electoral office is closed. Furthermore "advance-votes from voters will be kept in police financial vault until November 7. When election commission announces the election result, they will announce two results - one from advance-votes and another from votes made on election day”.

An officer from the Yangon division Peace and development council said if any problem occurs at the electoral office, ballot boxes will be locked and brought to the local peace and development council office to be counted. Candidates will be allowed to accompany local authorities to the council office and scrutinize vote counting.

Arrangements were provided to Yangon base media groups and foreign ambassadors to study the election process. The media groups and ambassadors will be able to observe ballot offices in Yangon, Mandalay, Magwe, Pegu, Pyi, Pathein, Myite, Moneywar, Harkhar, Myitkyinar, Taunggyi, Lasho, Kyinetone, Loikaw, Sitthwe, Hpa-an and Mawlamying. The tour trip began on November 5 and arrived back to Yangon on November 8.

Reported problems

2010.11.03	Hakha town in Chin State is faced with the problem of accommodating 22,969 eligible voters in only 12 polling booths set up. The Election Commission has no intention of providing more booths in Hakha town, a report said.
2010.11.02	Last week in Mudon and Ye Townships, Mon State, the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) directed all village headman to prepare the polling booth stations by collecting 1000 kyat per villager’s home. Someone close to south Mudon Townships’ village headman said, they will collect the money to buy a table, chair, and curtains for the polling station.

Date	Activity	Group	Details of the event
2010.11.20	Preparation	Election Commission	People will have to pay for all the expenses for officials, who were in-charge of polling stations in Chin state during the 2010 general election on 7 November, said an official on condition of anonymity. Each Block Peace and Development Council will take the responsibility for collecting the money from their respective areas for reimbursing travel expenses and cost of food for officials-in-charge of all polling stations.
2010.11.07	Voters		Many Taungup residents, who had participated in demonstrations against the military junta in the past were unable to vote in the election because their names were struck off the voters list, said a politician.
2010.11.06	Preparation	Election Commission + USDP	The Election Commission (EC) and members of the government-backed United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) conducted pre-votes at Mudon and Thanphyuzayart Townships, in Mon state
2010.11.06	Preparation	Election Commission	The Election Commission (EC) in Maungdaw Township began distributing polling materials ahead of tomorrow’s national election, said an election watchdog group in Maungdaw.
2010.11.04	Preparation	Election Commission	Daw Maw Maw Oo, School principle of School for Blind and virtually impaired students in Kyimyintaing Township, said that there is an advance-vote casting arrangement for blind and virtually impaired students who are 18 and above years old and are eligible to vote. An officer from Vehicle Control office said that drivers and driver assistants who will not be able to vote on election date have been advised to cast advanced-vote. If they want to vote on Election Day, then they will have to compromise with the vehicles owners..."
2010.11.04	Preparation	Election Commission	Election commissions across Shan State South and North are in a rush to carry out advance voting in the outskirts of towns, claiming they are worried there may be disturbances by rebels and anti-elections groups on election day, according to local sources.
2010.11.03	Preparation	Election Commission	With four days to go before the elections in Burma, Hakha town in Chin State is faced with the problem of accommodating 22,969 eligible voters in only 12 polling booths set up. The Election Commission has no intention of providing more booths in Hakha town, a report said.
2010.11.03	Announcement	Election Commission	Election authorities in Burma have cancelled voting in Sunday's elections in 12 more village areas in six constituencies in Kayah state where restive ethnic minorities are dominant, stating that conditions were not conducive.
2010.11.02	Preparation	TPDC	Last week in Mudon and Ye Townships, Mon State, the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) directed all village headman to prepare the polling booth stations by collecting 1000 kyat per villager’s home. Someone close to south Mudon Townships’ village headman said, they will collect the money to buy a table, chair, and curtains for the polling station.
2010.10.28	Education Campaign	Election Commission	Burma's Election Commission has begun an education campaign on voting, featuring videos on state-run MRTV
2010.10.04	Other	SPDC	According to relatives of Mon State school teachers, orders issued by the Burmese government in late September 2010 mandated that comprehensive exams for this semester at every educational institution in the country must be finished by October 22nd of this year.
2010.09.21	Announcement		Permission to use billboard for campaign was granted
2010.09.12	Voters		A jail warden said that authorities have been making lists of prisoners who are eligible to vote in coming election and send the lists to election commission since September 14. More than 6000 prisoners’ names were submitted to election commission up until September 26. According to election laws, inmates who are confined in jails are eligible to vote but inmates who are confined in prisons are not eligible to vote in coming election.
2010.09.11	Voters	State Radio and TV	To ensure that voters can vote for their desired political parties systematically in the coming election, the State Own Radio and TV will broadcast "Voting system" education program.
2010.09.07	Voters	Immigration	Burmese immigration officials have been taking large fees from residents in suburban villages outside the capital Sittwe in western Burma's Arakan State to issue National ID cards that are required to vote in the upcoming election
2010.08.20	Announcement	SPDC	The SPDC issued Notification No. 32/2010 that designates divisions as regions in accordance to the new constitution.
2010.08.20	Announcement	SPDC	The State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar issued Notification No. 34/2010 designating district and townships as the Union Territory in accordance to the new constitution
2010.08.20	Announcement	SPDC	The State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar issued Notification No. 33/2010 delineated Self-Administered Divisions and Self-Administered Zones in accordance to the new constitution
2010.08.13-16	Meeting	SPDC + USDP	Burmese Snr-Gen Than Shwe attended an “election victory campaign” meeting held by the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) according to sources in Naypyidaw. The meeting, which is being attended by USDP candidates including ministers, deputy ministers, director generals of government departments and businessmen close to the regime, included assigning constituencies for party candidates and appointing election campaign managers.
2010.08.09	Voters	SPDC	Government authorities are said to be issuing national identity (ID) cards to Chinese citizens naming them the Lisu national race, to fill the 0.1 per cent population quota as is mandatory by the junta-drawn constitution for the forthcoming general elections
2010.07.06	Media	SPDC	Burmese publications from next week will not be required to print military junta propaganda, according to editors and the state censor
2010.07.06	Voters	Immigration department	Burma's immigration department has plans to issue ID cards to everyone who is living in Burma so they will be able to vote in this year's election, reports a source from the immigration department in Maungdaw.
2010.07.01	Voters	Immigration and Population Ministry	About 30 million of Myanmar's 59 million people will be eligible to vote in the country's first elections in two decades, an Immigration and Population Ministry report said
2010.05.24-28	Meeting	SPDC	Leading members of the Burmese military junta met for a quarterly meeting in Naypyidaw. The meeting is expected to concentrate on final preparations ahead of the announcement of a date for a general election. According to sources close to the military Senior General Than Shwe told regional military commanders to help the Union Solidarity and Development Party win the forthcoming election. He also discussed the National League for Democracy’s attitude to the forthcoming election, power cuts and water shortages.
2010.03.17	Announcement	PSRD	The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), issued a statement saying that registered political parties can publish election-related materials, but have to apply to the censorship board to publish materials in accord with the 1962 Printing and Publishing Act within 90 days of their official registration with the Election Commission.
2010.03.08	Announcement	SPDC	The SPDC enacted five laws relating to the forthcoming general election this year, the state Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) reported. These laws are Union Election Commission Law, Political Parties Registration Law, Pyithu Luttaw (People's Parliament) Election Law, Amyotha Hluttaw (National Parliament) Election Law and State or Division Parliament Election Law, the report said. The Political Parties Registration Law, published in official newspapers, excludes anyone convicted by a court of law from participating in the elections. [Full Text ]
2010.02.06	Meeting	UMFCC	The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry organized a talk on “How Countries Democratize” with the sponsorship of Myanmar Combiz Group of Company
2009.12.31	Meeting	SPDC	Strategic cabinet Chaired by Gen. General Than Shwe meet in Naypyidaw to elaborate plans for elections
2009.12.14-18	Voters	VPDC	Local Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) authorities in Hlaing, South Dagon and Thongwa townships in Rangoon Division have started campaigns to scrutinize and compile lists of eligible voters for the upcoming 2010 election according to the local residents there.
2009.12.07-08	Meeting	SPDC	At a recent meeting, Major General Thaung Aye, Commander of the Western Regional Command, directed local officials at district and township level including administrations and police forces across the state to raise funds and undertake security preparations for the forthcoming election, according to an official from the Rakhine State’s Peace and Development Council.
2009.11.19-21	Voters	SPDC	Burmese military authorities are preparing to issue a green coloured card to local Muslims living in the urban areas of Maungdaw District in western Burma's Rakhine State ahead of the 2010 election, Director General of Immigration, Colonel Maung Maung Than had visited Maungdaw.

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 November 2010 19:18