The Irrawaddy Burma Election 2010

Home NEWS USDP Wins 76.5 Percent of Vote

USDP Wins 76.5 Percent of Vote

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Burma's Union Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced the final results for the Nov. 7 general election, with the regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) winning 883 of the 1,154 parliamentary seats, or 76.5 percent, according to a Chinese newspaper.

The People's Daily, a daily newspaper that is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, reported on Thursday that Burma's EC had declared the USDP, led by Prime Minister Thein Sein, the winner of 259 out of 325 seats in the House of Representatives, or 79.6 percent; 129 out of 168 seats (76.7 percent) in the House of Nationalities; and 495 of 661 seats (74.8 percent) in regional and state parliaments.

The report also said that the National Unity Party (NUP) had come in second with a total of 63 seats. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) took 57 seats and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party 35 seats. The National Democratic Force (NDF) and the All Mon Region Democracy Party ( AMRDP) each won 16 constituencies.

No official results have been announced to date in Burma's state-run media.

Several opposition parties that participated in the elections have filed complaints alleging vote fraud, voter intimidation and vote-fixing by the USDP assisting by local authorities.

On Tuesday, the EC warned political parties against “making allegations” that their candidates were not elected at the polls “through foreign radio stations and print media,” saying that such allegations “go against Article 64 of the respective Election Law.”

According to government website “mrtv.net.mm”, Article 64 reads: “Whoever is found guilty of dishonestly and fraudulently lodging any criminal proceedings against any person regarding offences relating to election shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or with a fine not exceeding 300,000 kyat (US $300) or with both.”

The EC said that any complaint must follow “in accordance with the rules and regulations.”

The warning appeared just days after Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from more than seven continuous years of house arrest.

Suu Kyi has already announced her intention to join party colleagues in an investigation of alleged electoral fraud. She told reporters, however, that while her party plans to issue a report, it has no plans to protest the results of the election as it didn't take part.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has struggled to demand official recognition at Naypyidaw's Supreme Court.

Several politicians told The Irrawaddy that they are unsatisfied with the EC procedures during the election.

The chairman of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP), Nai Ngwe Thein, said that many of his party candidates, including himself, lost seats after the Township Election Commission fixed the voting results by adding illegal advance votes. He said his party sent a letter of complaint to the EC in Mon State requesting an investigation into the alleged irregularities.

The Mon State's EC, however, took no action, he said. “Later, I confirmed that our letter had been received by the commander of Military Regional Southeast Command based in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State,” he added.

Thu Wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), said his party had filed a string of complaints against the USDP alleging campaign violations. However, he said it appeared that the EC has never responded to any complaint.

He said that he and the “Three Princesses”—the daughters of former prime ministers—each ran as candidates for the Democratic Party (Myanmar) and each suffered defeat in Sunday's polls.

“We don't want to file another complaint,” said Thu Wai. “If we do, we have to pay one million kyat (US $1,000) for each submission. Also, I don't think it will change the result.”

Observers have speculated that the winning election candidates will be summoned soon to gather and form national and regional governments in Naypyidaw.

The current ruling regime will continue to rule the country after the elections for up to three months, until the formal transfer of power takes place.

“Under the constitution, this be convened, at which a temporary chairperson for the house will be chosen. This will mark the formal start of the five-year legislative term, most likely in December 2010 or early January 2011,” the Amsterdam-based Burma Centrum Nederland reported in October.
 

Quotable

Nyan_win80"Once her [Aung San Suu Kyi's] sentence expires in November, and that notion is not disputed, it is our understanding that she will have served her sentence."
—Nyan Win, the foreign minister of Burma

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