As Kayah State Democratic Party (KySDP) complained that the procedures some Ward Election Sub-commission were doing at the polling station of Lawdhamma Wad in Loikaw, Kayah State, deemed controversial, the chairman of the Township Election Sub-commission visited the polling station for inspection on November 2 and instructed its members to only give necessary help to elderly voters. 

The warning came after the complaint that some sub-commission members in the ward were standing near the secret ballot boxes and helping the voters put their ballot papers into envelopes, seal the envelopes and put them into the ballot boxes.

“Commission members have already understood. They have been given training under the supervision of the Election Commission from September 29th to 5th. This will also be done at polling stations on 6th, 7th and 8th. (In the matter of helping the voters fold the ballot papers and put them into envelopes, there were some mistakes. Checks are needed because some don’t understand. We need to check whether ticks have been made, whether the seal has been stumped. This is to prevent any discarded votes. This has been said by that commission member. I have also told him this should not be done. For their standing near voters, very old shaky persons should need help with folding their ballot papers. But we cannot stand near other voters. I have instructed so,” said the chairman of the township sub-commission.

Thwe Thwe San, an observer from KySDP told reporters: “Yesterday, a boy from our office watched there. His name is Sai Naw Jar. When we asked him, he said that taking advantage of elderly persons, they (commission members) asked them (elderly voters) to vote for what they had recommended. We heard they did so. I asked him what his name was. He didn’t say. I keep watching as unfair practices surface. I also found out today that a commission member was going after a voter. They were very near. They spoke not in a transparent manner. After nine o’clock, I lost my patience. I told him he should not be too close to voters. He said he was from the commission office asking what I knew about this. He asked me if I would take responsibility if there is something wrong. I interfered because it was not a correct procedure. If he is from the commission, he should have done in a correct manner. There is no reason to be close to the voters. He also asked me to get outside. Other party members entered without asking permission. I asked permission to enter, but he didn’t allow. This totally unfair.” 

Lawdhamma Wad is mostly inhabited by migrants from mainland. In the past, it had most memebers of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the National League for Democracy.

Loikaw Township has 81 polling stations and 100,372 eligible voters.