NLD vice chair challenges distrust of election commission

NLD vice chair challenges distrust of election commission
Published 24 September 2019
Nyan Lin Tun

 

There can be distrust toward the Union Election Commission formed by the ruling government but the ruling National League for Democracy party itself has a clear conscience, said NLD vice chairman (2) Dr Zaw Myint Maung. 

He made the remark after the central committee's meeting held at the party headquarters in Yangon from September 21 to 22. 

"The 2020 general election has not come. They say they have no distrust of the election commission. This was said by the opposition. There can be such accusations. But we have a total clear conscience. We formed this commission in our time because its tenure was over. Trust or distrust is their business. If every party competes fairly, we don't care about anyone can act as a referee," said Dr Zaw Myint Maung. 

Under the then election commission formed by the National Unity Party, the NLD won in the 1990 election by competing in a fair and just manner. It also honestly competed in the 2015 election without blaming the commission, he commented. 

As per the 2008 constitution and the union election commission law, the incumbent government has the right to form the election commission. 

Some political parties including the major opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party have publicly shown their criticism saying that they have no trust in the Union Election Commission. 

USDP spokesperson Dr Nandar Hla Myint told The Daily Eleven on September 6 that they were not criticizing them without an apparent reason, adding that they had evidence (referring to their total loss to all complaints after the by-election).

"Our party has already told about this. We have little trust in the commission. We are watching it," said Dr Nandar Hla Myint. 

He said the NLD did criticize the election commission led by Tin Aye established by the USDP government without any reason. 

PACE (People's Alliance for Credible Elections) executive director Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint said that any election commission would face criticism, and this is because of the union election commission law. 

"Whoever forms this commission, criticism will come. The current law is undemocratic. It has weaknesses in terms of democratic norms. There will be accusations that this commission will favor the ruling government. This law needs to be amended," he said. 

He called for regular meetings with political parties, CSOs and media, sharing information and presenting commission activities to win trust if the law cannot be amended now.