Khumi organisation calls for voting in 12 Paletwa village-tracts ruled out

By Khin Tharaphy Oo 28 Oct 2020

Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
28 October 2020, Sittwe 

The Khumi Affairs Coordination Council (KACC) has called for holding elections in 12 village-tracts where the upcoming polls were recently cancelled by the Union Election Commission (UEC).  

“We will not insist on holding elections in places with security concerns,” said the KACC’s coordinator, Salai Paing Nang. “If the decisions were made based on the situation on the ground, we have nothing to be sorry or sad about. However, there are many places that are safe.” 

The KACC released a statement on October 28 urging a reassessment of the UEC’s no-election constituencies, which was updated on October 27 to include 94 village-tracts in Chin State’s Paletwa Township.  

“The election is getting closer. It is sad that this [cancelled elections] came to pass after much effort had been put into being able to participate partly, at a time of moving along the path to genuine democracy, wherein people are to take part in an important period of change in government,” the KACC coordinator said. 

In the UEC’s initial October 16 announcement of cancelled constituencies, Paletwa Township was not included. Critics of that announcement pointed out that some relatively conflict-free townships in Arakan State were disenfranchised, while voting in Paletwa was scheduled to go forward in full despite a recent history of hostilities in the area.  

“The Tatmadaw had advised not to hold elections in Chin State’s Paletwa Township due to fighting. The UEC told the Tatmadaw that it was willing to hold the election. So, the Tatmadaw has to coordinate for security affairs,” Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team said at a press conference on October 24. 

Three days later, the UEC reversed course, adding 94 village-tracts in Paletwa Township to the list of constituencies that would not be voting on November 8.