Carter Center Releases Latest Statement on Myanmar’s Pre-Election Activities

ATLANTA — The Carter Center today released its latest statement on Myanmar’s pre-election activities, making recommendations to assist ensure a democratic process moms and fathers afterwards.

The Carter Center’s quantity of core staff and extended-term observers believe that while parties and candidates have generally had the chance to conduct their activities without obstruction, political space remains uneven. There is instances of violence and limitations inside a couple of areas through getting an armed group or military presence, and reports of several physical attacks against party people. Campaign rules typically are really enforced reasonably and without causing substantial damage to parties and candidates. Party representatives and community people still voice concerns concerning the risk of nationalist and spiritual rhetoric to exacerbate communal tensions. The arrests of two civil society activists for posting comments regarding the military on social networking lead to concerns regarding the openness of political space.

The voter list, the display which ended on Sept. 27 in several areas, remains a topic of public critique, though a lot of the specific allegations about errors seem to become unsubstantiated. The Union Election Commission has acknowledged technical errors and adjustments, and problems with out-of-country voter lists are really broadly reported within the press. The finish consequence of voter list issues remains seen.

The announcement of cancellations of elections within the bigger-than-expected amount of villages has elevated concerns about disenfranchisement, as well as the most the folks in northern Rakhine condition remains excluded from participation within the election.

Carter Center teams still enjoy nearly unrestricted freedom of motion and access, though an evident rise in surveillance inside a couple of areas. The Carter Center is not given permission to look for the casting of ballots in out-of-constituency advance voting.

The statement offers several approaches for the federal government along with the UEC:

For the Government

• The 2 activists billed with posting satirical material online must be released. Measures should instantly achieve make sure that political party activists, candidates, along with the media aren’t vulnerable to harassment.
• Police pressure along with other security services must be prone to implement election security plans in a manner that is non-discriminatory which doesn’t hinder individuals activities of candidates, media, or observers.

For the Union Election Commission

• The UEC should do something positive about complaints printed by political parties and candidates, including in situation alleging any susipicious activity regarding religion with the campaign, and provide timely responses. The UEC should use police pressure government physiques to make sure election violations are quickly investigated.
• Voter identification needs must be broadly publicized, such as the fact voter slips aren’t mandatory for voting.
• There needs to be greater transparency about voter list technical problems and measures which have been transported to deal with them. The factors accustomed to uncover the locations where elections cannot be held must be printed.
• Polling station officials must be prone to exercise their discretion to limit usage of polling stations in a way that doesn’t obstruct the observation of voting and counting by domestic observers in the way in line with their methodology.
• Within the interest of transparency along with the integrity along the way, The Carter Center reiterates its previous recommendations that advance voting, including out-of-constituency advance voting by military along with other security forces, be produced fully observable for worldwide and domestic observers and party agents. Media Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

In Yangon, Ernest Rawksi, ernest.rawski@mail.cceom.org

Download the entire news release in British here .