Khit/ Munich (NSS) – Feb 14 

   The recently appointed chairperson of the Union Election Commission (UEC) U Ko Ko stated that the UEC will make efforts to regain the trust of the voters and the political parties in the upcoming fresh election. 

    U Ko Ko, who has also served as the chairperson of Yangon Region Election Commission addressed it during the meeting with the UEC members and staff on 31 January in Naypyidaw. 

   He highlighted those unlike ordinary general elections, the next election is said to be the one that will repair the reputation which was contaminated in the 2020 General Election.  

Accuracy of the voter lists plays a vital role for the election; and thus, the UEC will prepare the correct voter lists. The UEC checks and scrutinizes the household registration forms (Form 66/6) received from the Ministry of Immigration and Population with the ground statistics collected by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the computerized programme. 

He added that laws and bylaws are as important as the accurate voter lists. Those legal provisions that have not yet legally promulgated will also be enacted as soon as possible and will be distributed to the election commission offices in districts and townships, and the political parties. 

    The General Secretary of the National Unity Party U Tun Ye told The Statesman Journal, “We hope that this new chairman of the UEC will be able to collaborate with the political parties. Every election has to be free and fair. The eligible voters should express their own votes indepen­dently.” 

  The Closed list-PR system will be exercised in the upcoming election instead of the Fast Past the Post system. Therefore, the required legal measures, electoral laws, and bylaws to fit with the PR system are now being drafted and revised as the State Administration Council (SAC) stated. 

   However, the SAC has not announced the exact date of the next election. On the other hand, the political parties expect that it will be in 2025. –