U Maung Maung, who resigned from the National League for Democracy (NLD) to run as an independent in Kyaikmaraw Township , Mon State, in the upcoming 2020 general election, has been rejected as a candidate. He resigned from the party in June and was nominated to the Election Commission in Kyaikmarraw Township as an independent candidate for the State Hluttaw.
According to the U Hein Lin Htet, Secretary of the Mon State Election Sub-Commission the rejection was because his parents were not citizens when he was born. “We explained it to him, and canceled his candidacy on August 16th, and [then] submitted [our ruling] to the Union.”
However, there is some controversy over this ruling, because the state list of candidates that was public from August 11 to 17, did not indicate a problem.
According to the U Maung Maung , the Commission’s decision to reject his candidacy came after the appeal deadline and is against the law.
“I already checked on 12 August. They did not cancel (my candidacy) on that day. It took a long time and the days for me to appeal was gone. That is not the legal framework,” argued U Maung Maung.
According to U Hein Lin Htet, a review of representatives meeting election criteria will be scrutinized until the candidate’s announcement, and can be revoked by law.
He said, “they analyse the background of candidates with the law imposed on the items. And the information is sent from Home Affairs to the Union Election Commission (UEC) and from UEC to the relevant district to be verified again. …if [a candidates application] it is not in accordance with the law, they can reject it.”
On August 26, the National League for Democracy (NLD) announced they had expelled 40 party members who had applied to run as candidates of another party or as independents.
