Six people in Arakan State prosecuted for casting ballots more than once in 2020 election

By DMG 06 Nov 2021

DMG Newsroom
6 November 2021, Sittwe 

Six people in Arakan State who allegedly cast ballots more than once in Myanmar’s general election on November 8, 2020, have been prosecuted, according to the state’s election subcommission and sources close to the accused. 

Of the six, two are from Manaung Township, three are from Ramree Township and one is from Ann Township. They were charged under Section 171(d) and 171(f) of the Penal Code at the respective township police stations. 

“Only six people voted more than once in Aralan State as a whole. Work is currently underway to bring the case to court,” said a source close to the Arakan State election subcommission. 

Citing security concerns, the Union Election Commission (UEC) cancelled elections in the entireties of nine townships in northern Arakan State, as well as several wards and village-tracts in four other townships.  

The UEC said that any individual found guilty of casting more than one ballot could be sentenced to one year in prison or a fine under Section 171(d) and 171(f) of the Penal Code. 

U Khaing Kaung San, a member of the Arakan State Election Monitoring Committee, said the government and the district/township election subcommissions are responsible for the fact that some voters cast ballots more than once during the election. 

The junta-appointed UEC announced on October 22 that it had notified all region and state election subcommissions on May 5 to take action against those individuals who cast two or more ballots using the same citizenship card, in accordance with Section 59 of the relevant election law. 

The UEC said it was scrutinising voter lists in accordance with Section 53 of the election law, and that the undertaking was needed to prevent future voter fraud. 

The commission announced on July 26 that the results of the 2020 general election were “annulled,” claiming the poll was marred by fraud and “was not in compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Union Election Commission Law and respective Hluttaw Election Law.” 

Several local and international election observers have disputed that there were any widespread election problems, however, concluding instead that the vote was largely free and fair. The National League for Democracy won the vast majority of parliamentary seats in the allegedly fraudulent November poll, much as it did in the 2015 general election.