IMNA : On the Thai – Burma border at Three Pagoda Pass, voters have been unable to vote for the ethnic minority candidate of their choice.
The November 7th Burmese elections include four assemblies (Hluttaw), the People’s assembly, the National Assembly, the Regional Assembly, and the Ethnic Minority Assembly.
The polling booth stations at TPP, however, only have three ballot boxes, the State/Region assembly, the National Assembly, and the People’s Assembly, disregarding the Ethnic Minority Assembly.
One voter at TPP reported going to the polling booth stations to vote, and being told that he cannot vote for the Ethnic Minority Assembly, and subsequently returned home without voting at all. “I went to vote for the Ethnic Minority Assembly, but the polling booth authorities looked at my choice and did not allow me to vote,” he added.
The ethnic minority candidates include people of Mon ethnicity, Burmese ethnicity, Pa’O, and many others. This villager added that when many Mon villagers heard that they could not cast their vote for the Ethnic Minority Assembly they returned home.
Voters are not only experiencing the inability to vote for their choices, but also the inability to vote at all. The Election Commission has explained that those voters without numbers (given out before October 26th) from the collected voting lists will be unable to caste their vote. Voters without the registration cards and numbers were told that their ballots were considered to be fraudulent,” one voter explained.
The announcement about not being able to vote without a registration card was not displayed at the polling booth, confusing many when they were told they could not vote.
The polling booth stations were open from 6 am to 4 pm, and due to enhanced security, voters were unable to bring their telephones.
