President, military chief call for holding elections in Arakan State’s cancelled constituencies

By Khin Tharaphy Oo 15 Dec 2020

Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
15 December 2020, Sittwe 

Myanmar’s president and the commander-in-chief of the Defence Services, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, have called for holding make-up elections before December 31 of this year in some no-voting areas of Arakan State where the general election was cancelled due to security reasons on November 8.  

In a landmark statement from the C-in-C’s office, the senior-general mentioned that the Tatmadaw welcomed a request from the Arakan Army (AA) to hold the election before December 31 in some parts of Arakan State where the election has not been held yet, and pledged to cooperate with the authorities in undertaking the necessary measures to realise that endeavour.   

In his message, President U Win Myint expressed his regret for some townships of Arakan State yet to hold the election and urged persons and organisations to work in concert for the holding of the general election.  

But even amid the outreach, the chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP) said that the government does not strive for holding the election, said U Tha Tun Hla, chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP).  

“I see that the government does not make any arrangements for holding the election. The government shows off its attitude, as it is responsible for the election. Currently, we don’t see any efforts by the government to hold the election soonest,” U Tha Tun Hla said. 

If the Union Election Commission (UEC) decides to re-hold the election in Arakan State, the state election subcommission is ready to implement the directive, said U Thurein Htut, secretary of the subcommission.  

Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing said that the Tatmadaw on the one hand is striving to solve the problems on humanitarian grounds that local people of Arakan State face, including resettlement and rehabilitation, regional development and prevention of conflicts in the long run.  

Myanmar’s president expressed his attitude regarding the message in honour of Arakan State Day, saying that all the persons concerned should notice that demanding rights of ethnics through armed struggle would cause the greatest loss to the local people. 

The president in his message pledged to make strenuous efforts to shape Arakan State to become a modern, developed, beautiful state and to build a democractic federal union in the future. 

With security concerns cited, elections were cancelled in the entireties of nine Arakan State townships, as well as parts of four other townships in the state.