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By Takaloo
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A rally of RNDP in SittweSittwe: Bad weather and strict rules laid down by the Election Commission have delayed election campaigns of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, or RNDP, across western Burma's Arakan State, said a candidate from the party.
"As it was raining continuously over the whole of last week here and we have to carry out our campaigns mostly on the open grounds as per electoral rules, we had to cancel our planned campaign events in many urban wards and villages," said U Maung Nyo, who is a candidate from the RNDP running for the People's Assembly in Arakan's capital Sittwe.
He told Narinjara that his party had to apply for permission from the Election Commission to carry out the canceled events at a later date, and the EC's delay in processing their permit have further hindered the party's activities.
"Without the EC's permission we can not do our campaigns, and we have to be very careful to be in line with the EC's orders and electoral laws as well. So, we have applied again for the EC's permission for our postponed campaigns, but the EC's delays for days to provide the permits has hindered our activities further," he said.
The election is scheduled to be held on 7 November, and all political parties have only 23 days to carry out their vote canvassing or other pre-election campaign activities.
The RNDP, according to the source, could have canvassed 8 out of 32 urban wards and a few of the 30 rural village groups in Sittwe Township so far, had their activities not been delayed. The party has been facing similar obstacles in other townships as well.
The RNDP, the largest Arakanese party, will post 44 candidates in the upcoming election in 14 of 17 townships in Arakan State, with just one candidate for the State Assembly in the Buthidaung constituency and another one for the Rakhine ethnic constituency in Rangoon Division.
"Due to the shortage of funding and time, we could not run candidates in all townships and had to skip Taungup, Ann, Gwa and Maungdaw Townships in Arakan State," said U Maung Nyo.
Meanwhile, the Burmese regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, has been intensifying their vote campaigns all over Arakan State, according to local sources. Their latest campaign involves pasting vinyl posters at busy intersections and public places advertising their candidates in the main town of each township.
A member of the Arakan League for Democracy, which gained the third most votes in the 1990 elections and has been boycotting the coming election, said that the USDP has been widely using the regime's authority in it campaigns to win votes and expand membership in Arakan State.
"We have been watching very closely how the regime-backed USDP and other registered political parties have been campaigning for the elections in Arakan State. We have found the USDP never cares for the Election Commission or laws when they act," he said.
"For example, they have used monasteries and religious buildings for their voter campaigns despite electoral restrictions, while other parties have to wait for the EC's permission for days for each campaign event in Arakan State. We have heard with our own ears its members daring to speak out that other parties must subordinate their party after the elections in Arakan State because their party is backed by the government in power, and urging people to join the party," he added.
http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2770
By Takaloo
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A rally of RNDP in Sittwe"As it was raining continuously over the whole of last week here and we have to carry out our campaigns mostly on the open grounds as per electoral rules, we had to cancel our planned campaign events in many urban wards and villages," said U Maung Nyo, who is a candidate from the RNDP running for the People's Assembly in Arakan's capital Sittwe.
He told Narinjara that his party had to apply for permission from the Election Commission to carry out the canceled events at a later date, and the EC's delay in processing their permit have further hindered the party's activities.
The election is scheduled to be held on 7 November, and all political parties have only 23 days to carry out their vote canvassing or other pre-election campaign activities.
The RNDP, according to the source, could have canvassed 8 out of 32 urban wards and a few of the 30 rural village groups in Sittwe Township so far, had their activities not been delayed. The party has been facing similar obstacles in other townships as well.
The RNDP, the largest Arakanese party, will post 44 candidates in the upcoming election in 14 of 17 townships in Arakan State, with just one candidate for the State Assembly in the Buthidaung constituency and another one for the Rakhine ethnic constituency in Rangoon Division.
Meanwhile, the Burmese regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, has been intensifying their vote campaigns all over Arakan State, according to local sources. Their latest campaign involves pasting vinyl posters at busy intersections and public places advertising their candidates in the main town of each township.
A member of the Arakan League for Democracy, which gained the third most votes in the 1990 elections and has been boycotting the coming election, said that the USDP has been widely using the regime's authority in it campaigns to win votes and expand membership in Arakan State.
"We have been watching very closely how the regime-backed USDP and other registered political parties have been campaigning for the elections in Arakan State. We have found the USDP never cares for the Election Commission or laws when they act," he said.
"For example, they have used monasteries and religious buildings for their voter campaigns despite electoral restrictions, while other parties have to wait for the EC's permission for days for each campaign event in Arakan State. We have heard with our own ears its members daring to speak out that other parties must subordinate their party after the elections in Arakan State because their party is backed by the government in power, and urging people to join the party," he added.
http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2770
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