The National League for Democracy (NLD) included its members and some hardcore supporters in district and township election sub-commissions in Rakhine State in the 2020 general election period, the newly formed Union Election Commission (UEC) said in a statement on May 15. 

According to the statement, an investigation was made into the voter lists and voting in the townships of Kyaukphyu, Yanbye, Am, Sittwe, Gwa, Taungup and Thandwe in Rakhine State where the 2020 general election also took place. And such actions were not in line with the respective parliamentary election laws and rules, the UEC pointed out.  

The NLD submitted lists of chosen members and hardcore supporters when state, district and township level election sub-commissions in Rakhine State in 2017. The then Rakhine State chief minister Nyi Pu signed the letter and gave it to the secretary of Rakhine State Election Sub-commission to make them belong to the respective sub-commissions, the statement added.  

The statement also mentioned a letter of instruction in which Nyi Pu wrote asking for the post of chair of Thandwe Township Election Sub-commission and posts of three other members. 

It also quoted other written instructions asking for appointments of NLD members and hardcore supporters in forming district sub-commissions and township sub-commissions in Kyaukphyu, MraukU, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnakyun. 

As per the respective election laws, any eligible voter in township constituencies cannot be on the voter lists of other constituencies, except his own township constituency. However, there were mistakes going against the provisions of making voter lists, the UEC said. 

The UEC statement also pointed out blunders such as illegal advance voting process caused by NLD members’ door-to-door election campaigns, overlapping voter lists caused by strict Covid-19 restrictions and voting by those without having their national registration cards.  

Some voters had the chance to cast votes two or three times as their names were included on the voter lists several times. It is therefore contrary to section 59 of the parliamentary election law, the statement said. 

The UEC quoted the findings of the voter lists in those eight townships in Rakhine State as saying that there were 77,57 voters without holding national registration cards, 4,101 voters whose names were mentioned three times and above in the voter lists and 47,712 voters whose names were mentioned two times in the voter lists.