There are about 20 parliamentary candidates in Yangon Region who have failed to submit reports on their election expenses within the set period, according to respective election sub-commissions.
The lists available till the deadline of December 14 show that some candidates who contested the election in East District and Sough District did not show up to submit their election expense reports.
“We informed them to submit their reports in time. They said they would not. But the final accounts have yet to be done. There are about only eight, not many,” said Dr Kyaw Soe Win, chairman of Yangon East District Election Sub-commission on December 15.
He said he could not say which parties they are from as the final accounts are still in the process.
As per Section 77 of the election rule, all candidates, regardless of being elected or not, must submit their election expense reports (Form 20) to their respective election sub-commissions.
The reports must come within 30 days after the announcement of representatives-elect.
South District Election Sub-commission chairman Thein Hlaing said the election winners were announced on November 15 so the deadline was December 14.
He went on to say that there are 10 candidates in the South District who did not submit their reports and they are independent candidates and are small party members.
“They did not submit their reports because they may have the intention that they will not compete in next elections,” he commented.
Those who fail to submit election expense reports by the deadline will be announced as those disqualified. Then they will lose the chance to compete in any by-election to be held in the parliamentary term.
In the 2015 election, 159 parliamentary candidates and 24 elected representatives failed to submit their election expenses.
Under the election rule, each of constituencies for lower and upper houses and state/region parliaments can spend Ks10 million for election and those of ethnic constituencies K1.5 million.
In the 2020 election held on November 8, 5,639 candidates competed and there were 801 in Yangon Region.
