10 candidates in Arakan State yet to submit election expenses

By Min Tun 09 Dec 2020

Min Tun | DMG
9 December 2020, Sittwe

A total of 144 general election candidates had submitted their campaign expenses in Arakan State as of December 9, with 10 still to report, according to the relevant district election subcommissions.

According to the subcommissions, the deadline for submitting candidates’ election expenditures during the campaign period preceding the November 8 vote is December 10.

Of the 154 Arakan State candidates who ran in the recent election, from a variety of political parties as well as several independent candidates, only 10 had yet to submit their election expenses as of Tuesday.

That included four candidates each from Sittwe and Thandwe districts, and two candidates for the post of Chin ethnic affairs minister, said officials from the respective election subcommissions.

“December 10 will be the deadline for the candidates and they are expected to come and submit their election expenses,” said U Khin Maung Oo, secretary of the Sittwe District election subcommission.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) has stated that if election candidates and their agents fail to submit their election expenditures report within the stipulated time frame, they will be ruled as disqualified in accordance with Section 84 of the election bylaws.

All candidates from the Arakan National Party (ANP) have submitted their election expenses, according to U Tun Aung Kyaw, a member of the party’s policy steering committee.

“The elected lawmakers and the defeated candidates from the ANP have already submitted their election expenses in time,” he said.

Candidates cannot exceed K10 million in election expenditures, and in Arakan State no complaints have yet been lodged about election expense violations, according to officials from the relevant election subcommissions.