MYIYKYINA-----The National League for Democracy (NLD) campaign organizer in Waingmaw opened the advance vote box in ward no-4 of Waingmaw in Kachin State before all the people were there.
When the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) campaign organizer B Du Lay arrived at the ward no.4 pooling station in Waingmaw on October 30 at 6:50 am, he found that the box in which advance votes had to cast was opened.
Upon investigation, it was found that NLD campaign organizer Than Htay opened tapes covering the advance vote box. B Du Lay complained that opening the advance vote box without the presence of election commission members meant dishonesty and submitted a complaint letter. Therefore, sub-election commission chairman Ye Myint filed the lawsuit against Than Htay.
The decision was agreed by representatives from nine parties competing in the election and township election commission.
“We witnessed his opening of the box and so submitted a complaint letter. When discussed with representatives from nine parties and the election commission, we agreed that he was where he shouldn’t be. We agreed on taking action to him but all parties objected to the matter on cancellation of all the votes in the box,” said Kyaw Kyaw Aung, chair of USDp in Waingmaw Township.
Be Du Lay who witnessed the situation said that when he reached the polling station, it was 6:50 am. I saw that the box was opened and when asked, people there replied that it was an NLD organizer. We all agreed to open the box at 7:00 am. I submitted that matter to the party and submitted that complaint letter.
“The advance vote box was placed at the ward polling station and there were some ward election members there and so the action had to take place but the situation on vote cheating couldn’t occur,” said Waingmaw ward no-4 election commission chairman Ye Myint.
He wasn’t cheating votes. But it seemed that violation of rules occurred and so action was taken. All 112 votes in the box were sealed. No one was allowed to enter, said Ye Myint. Waingmaw ward no-4 election commission chairman Ye Myint filed a lawsuit against him with election law 59 (c).
Than Htay said, “We all closed the box on October 29 and agreed to open the box the next day. I got to the polling station at 6:45 am and there was a commission member, and a clerk and policeman. As I was going to market, I said let’s open and I opened it. There were 2 voters there. I knew the case at 10:00 am. Now that a lawsuit was filed against me, I have to face it. I didn’t put anything in the box.”
