The Union Election Commission (UEC) Chairperson Ko Ko told a meeting on Myanmar’s regime-planned elections on Friday that electronic voting machines will be used to “prevent electoral fraud.” Regime media reported that the UEC law was amended on Thursday to allow its staff members take positions at all levels of the electoral process.
“The amendment allows [regime leader] Min Aung Hlaing to appoint anyone he wants,” a legal professional told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The UEC law, adopted in 2010, previously required electoral sub-commissions to have an independent chairperson and two other professional members with an election officer serving as secretary.
UEC Deputy Chairperson Than Soe instructed officials at the Friday meeting in Naypyidaw to select and train regime staff to manage polling stations. The UEC has stated that electronic voting machines will operate on a “simple and secure” microcontroller system without relying on an operating system, or wireless connectivity such as the internet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), led by former regime minister and ex-National League for Democracy (NLD) member of parliament Thet Thet Khine, visited China on June 16 at the “invitation of the Communist Party of China,” according to statements shared on social media on June 16.
The two political parties are among 10 expected to contest polls nationwide in 267 out of Myanmar’s 330 townships in the regime-planned elections expected to begin in December. A total of 54 political parties have registered to participate in the elections, according to the UEC.
A source close to the Myanmar Army in Kengtung Township of eastern Shan State told DVB that installations and demonstrations of electronic voting machines have been held at three of the regime’s four Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters in Shan State since June 11.
The source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the demonstration was held at the RMC headquarters due to security concerns, but the UEC excluded the Northeastern RMC in Lashio Township. The other three RMC headquarters are the Eastern RMC in Taunggyi Township, the Triangle Region RMC in Kengtung Township, and the Eastern Central RMC in Nansang Township.
Min Aung Hlaing announced that the elections would be held this year during a visit to Belarus. But he has yet to share the exact timeline or the candidate criteria. No election date can be set until the regime lifts the nationwide state of emergency it has repeatedly extended every six months since 2022 – one year after it seized power in a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
The military ousted the democratically-elected NLD government, and jailed its leaders State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, over allegations of voter fraud following a landslide victory for the NLD in the 2020 general elections. The source added that 30 out of 267 townships where the UEC plans to set up polls in the elections are reportedly active conflict zones.
