Union Election Commission (UEC) has decided that the decision made by the Dagon Township election commission not to include counting of unsealed envelopes violates the election law and so those advance votes with unsealed envelopes must be put in the counting.

A complaint from the NLD said that the 58 ballot papers in unsealed envelopes from the 905 Company of Military Engineers and so the Dagon Township election commission decided not to count these votes on October 22.  

But that decision does not meet the election law and there is no law prescribed for doing so according to the letter sent to political parties by the UEC.

On October 21, 58 ballot papers in unsealed envelopes from the 905 Company of Military Engineers were sent to Dagon Township election commission. Therefore, Dagon Township election commission decided not to count these votes and submitted the matter to UEC.

Thus the UEC on October 27 held a coordination meeting and canceled the decision made by the Dagon Township election commission according to Han Naing Oo from People’s Betterment party.

NLD party candidate Ba Myo Thein said that counting these unsealed ballot papers may be according to the statement made by UEC on October 30 and he accepted the decision. UEC on October 30 made a statement in which they said unsealed ballot papers, stain ballot papers and torn ballot papers will not be cancelled and they will be included in the counting. UEC also announced that rubber stamps or marks with a ball pen in the ballot papers are also eligible.