Nai Ngwe Thein (Chairman of All Mon Regions Democracy Party)
We don’t know how many seats we will win yet. We estimated that we would win more parliament seats, about 22, but there has been a lot of cheating. On election day (November 7th), the USDP played dirty. I went myself to the polling booth station to ask for an explanation of the dishonest acts that the USDP (United Solidarity and Development Party) was part of. The USDP used the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) to distribute USDP’s logo. The headmen of the VPDC spread the USDP logo throughout the quarters and wards themselves. After distributing the USDP logo, they threatened voters saying that if the voters didn’t sign (or tick) for the USDP, the voters would be punished.
After we heard about this, we [AMDP] members went to the villages to clarify the elections for the voters. The Mon residents, especially didn’t understand election proceedings. Mon residents from the villages followed the threats of the VPDC and USDP because they were afraid. We also said we would tell the media what was going on. But, we didn’t.
Also, USDP threatened to Mon villagers that if they helped other parties campaign, these villagers would be arrested. We went to the Mon urban centers to explain that they should vote for who they want and not to be afraid.
On election day, we explained that the polling booth officers have the full authority, but they weren’t brave enough to stand up to the USDP. USDP members entered the polling stations and told the voters how to vote and who to vote for? And they received votes for themselves by doing this before we [AMDP] members arrived. Once I arrived, I objected. The people from that area know me because I used to be a headmaster there. I told the polling booth officers they need to investigate, to observe, and not to do what is incorrect, which is what they were doing. They are deferential to me because of I used to be their headmaster.
Most of the government staff were afraid of being transferred to other areas, and of being demoted. They felt better once I came into the polling booth and explained what they had to do.
The USDP mainly threatened the other parties, especially the AMDP. They told the villagers that the AMDP would be arrested after they entered the election. We told the ward and quarter headmen that we won’t spread the news about what you are doing. If we do so you will get in trouble. We told them that as polling booth officers, they have full power. You should manage the polling booth stations honestly. If you do so then you won’t feel guilty.
Burmese government staff only know how to kowtow to the government. They don’t know what is right or wrong, they are just afraid. And I don’t blame them.
The USDP is so deceitful. The Election Commission acts as the umpire of the polling booth stations and they should be objective. But it was not like that. The Election Commission staff did what the higher authorities told them to. The dictatorship [Burmese government] administered the whole elections. We tried to oppose what we can.
After counting the votes, we would have won at Moulmein [capitol of Mon state]. We lost because of pre-voting. Pre-votes counted for about 1,000 ballots, including government staff and even teachers from universities. They voted for the USDP. That’s why the situation at Moulmein turned out bad.
