Officials from both the National League for Democracy and the Union Solidarity and Development Party have claimed that it was their supporters who went round the town of Bago in procession for canvassing for votes on September 13. 

Since 8 am, those supporters on motorbikes and in cars had gathered and paraded holding their respective party flags and playing their campaign songs. 

The officials from both parties denied they organized the processions saying that they were organized by their public supporters. 

“Today, a few candidates from our party did go to villages for canvassing. These large gatherings in the town were organized by our supporters. Yangon is seeing a lot of Covid-19 cases. Gatherings are not good because Bago is very close to Yangon. We should pay attention to our health. There are also cases in Bago. We must take care of ourselves,” said Ko Ko Naing, chairman of Bago Township NLD’s election victory committee. 

Some locals have criticized such gatherings during the Covid-19 crisis saying that the leaders of both parties should have discouraged their supporters from doing this. 

“This was not organized by our party. It was done by public members as they wish. All know that it is not good to do so in the pandemic. We find it difficult to stop them. But we distributed face masks and bottled water to them,” said Min Khant Kyaw, chairman of Bago Township USDP. 

The Ministry of Health and Sports issued a directive on September 6 banning a gathering of more than 50 people in the 2020 election campaigning.