YANGON------United Nationalities Democracy Party (UNDP) yesterday sent a letter to the Union Election Commission (UEC) calling for postponement of election date in 44 COVID hotspot Townships except Coco Island in Yangon Region.
The letter was signed by 12 UNDP’s candidates from Yangon Region.
“We would like to urge the UEC to give first priority over public health. As the public worries about their lives during this situation, we don’t want to hold the election in COVID hit areas. The election may be canceled. If the UEC can abolish the general election in Rakhine and Shan State, they can change the election date at the constituencies in Yangon region. That’s why we, all candidates, want to postpone the election date in Yangon’s 44 Townships except Coco Island,” said UNDP’s candidate David Hla Myint who will run in general election-2020 representing Kawthmu Township and who is also UNDP’s chairman.
The UNDP’s letter reported that Myanmar saw 37,196 COVID-19 confirmed cases, according to the data of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) issued on October 20th. Among them, 29, 167 cases came from Yangon Region.
Moreover, the announcement said that no one was allowed to carry out election campaigns at COVID hit areas in 44 Townships of Yangon Region.
Moreover, the UEC asked political parties to follow the health ministry’s guidelines, which will change during the campaign season.
So, the UNDP is worrying about the public health because there has been a lack of medical security guarantee.
UNDP also hopes that the election victory is considered second to the needs of public health.
UNDP’s chairman David Hla Myint also said that the UEC should hold again the general election at the postponement areas. The UEC must think about the public health condition. There was no need to give first priority for holding the general election.
The UNDP will be running at 12 seats in Lower House, Upper House, Regional Parliaments and Kayan ethnic vacant representing constituencies in Kawthmu, Seikgyi-Khanaungto, Twanty, Dagon Myothit (north), Taikgyi, north Oakkalapa and Dagon Myothit (east) and then there are totaling 33 UNDP candidates across the nation.
The UEC announced on October 16 that elections would not take place in over 500 wards and village-tracts in Rakhine, Shan, Kachin, Kayah and Mon states and Bago Region including nine townships in Rakhine State and six townships in Shan State.
The United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) issued a statement on October 19 categorically denouncing the UEC’s announcement to abolish some constituencies and calling for a review.
While the election is to be held in Yangon Region despite being hardest hit by Covid-19, elections in other states that do not see both regional instability and the Covid-19 outbreak have failed. And this can undermine the credibility of the UEC, according to the UNA’s statement.
In the statement, the UNA, a coalition of mostly ethnic political parties, has called on the UEC to make a timely review to ensure a free and fair election.
Of the nine abolished township constituencies in Rakhine State, Pauktaw Township sees no fighting while there is no fighting in Mongkai Township out of the six abolished constituencies in Shan State.
Likewise, Arakan League for Democracy and Union Betterment Party also sent letters to the UEC calling on review to hold free and fair elections in the abolished constituencies.
