Yangon
Myanmar’s military-backed main opposition party said on Thursday that it is rejecting the results of last weekend’s general election, citing unfairness.
Unofficial results showed on Tuesday that the ruling National League for Democracy party of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won a majority of seats in Parliament, giving it a second five-year term in power.
At a news conference on Thursday in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, an official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party read a statement demanding that the Union Election Commission hold another vote, and work with the military so that the election can be free, fair and unbiased. A member of the Union Election Commission said in a separate new conference in Naypyitaw, the capital, that the commission has no comment on the USDP’s accusations, as we don’t know what kind of facts or evidence their accusations are based on.
Outside the UEC office, about 50 protesters from various groups held placards challenging the validity of the election before they were asked by police to leave. The USDP statement comes one day after party chairman Than Htay said that the election process is not yet over.
There have been many contentious events during the whole voting process, whether in line with the law or not, and more facts are coming out, Than Htay said in a video message posted on Facebook on Tuesday. “We will continue working according to the law to receive the final result.” Yway Mal, an independent vote counting service, said that as of Wednesday, Suu Kyi’s party had won 361 seats in the combined upper and lower houses, exceeding the 322 needed for control.—AP
