Unfair referendum : NLD

by Mizzima News

Sunday, 11 May 2008 20:51

The NLD has alleged that the national constitutional referendum held yesterday by the SPDC was unfair. An official from NLD Information Department gave the following facts to Mizzima to prove his remark. These facts are presented here. "The local authority forced the villagers from 3 villages in Natmauk Township, Magwe Division to cast 'YES' vote only in the referendum. Local USDA informed Township Peace and Development Council (PDC) after finding 15 'NO' votes in their ballot box in Paduakngoke village". "The referendum was held in accordance with the prescribed rules and law where our NLD members can watch and monitor. But in other polling stations where our party workers cannot watch and monitor, they forced the voters to put the ballot papers in the ballot box put in front of the polling station officials after ticking 'YES'. They said to the voters who didn't wish to cast 'YES' vote, could put their ballot papers in the separate ballot box put behind the polling station. In this way, they can distinguish who voted 'YES' and who voted 'NO'. Moreover the armed police were deployed around the polling station so that the voters dare not cast 'NO' votes". ......................................................................... "There was a polling station in Kanma, Pakokku Township, which collected absentee votes in advance. It is said that there were 100% 'YES' vote in that station, no 'NO' vote at all". There are 14 polling stations for 13 village tracts in Yinkyein circle, Pakokku Township. The information received by our NLD-HQ (Youth) from these 13 village tracts said that Chaungkauk village PDC Chairman Thein Htike collected absentee votes in advance in the night one day before the scheduled date. Then he ticked some ballot papers 'YES' himself and put them in the ballot box". "Similarly Kyetshar village PDC Chairman did the same thing. But Ainkyin and Myomo villages held the referendum in accordance with the law and rule". "In Kabaraye and Htanaungkone villages, local PDC Chairman and poll station master forced the voters to tick on the ballot papers in front of them and didn't allow the voters to tick in the voting room as a secret vote". "Satgyi PDC Chairman Aung Kyaw Min threatened the voters by saying that the villagers won't get any social assistance from him anymore if they cast 'NO' votes". "When we asked Ywatharaye PDC Chairman U Maung Zaw Min why he did that, he replied that he had to do so under pressure by the Township PDC and the higher authority by promising them one GSM phone if there's no single 'NO' vote and would be in trouble if there are many 'NO' votes in their respective polling stations." ......................................................................... "The referendum propaganda song 'Let's go to polling station' was played for the whole day in Paan, Karen State. But the turnout rate was very low until 11 a.m. yesterday". "In Meetan village, it is very strange that there was no ball pen in the polling stations. The voters dared not ask for ball pens from the village referendum convening commission Chairman and its members so they put blank ballot papers in the ballot box". "A polling station was built at No. 6 State Primary School in Hlinebwe Township, 'A' Ward. The polling station collapsed because it was not strong enough to bear the weight of many voters, but because of improper construction". ......................................................................... "The situation is not good in Mandalay. The polling stations officials forced the voters to tick 'YES' on ballot papers. Moreover they took a lot of absentee votes in advance. All these absentee votes were ticked 'YES' too. The turnout rate today is very low too". ......................................................................... "The local PDC forced the voters to cast 'YES' vote only in Daikwin village, Moulmein, Mon State. In Meokone ward, our party worker Khun Nai Soe was told by village referendum commission that he had already cast his 'YES' vote when he went to polling station. They showed his so-called vote when he complained. Similarly his wife was shown her so-called 'YES' vote and lost their right to franchise in yesterday's referendum". ......................................................................... "The school teachers showed the 'YES" votes only to the voters in Thanbyi village, Tharyawady Township, Pegu Division polling station, and then all the voters were forced to tick 'YES' on their ballot papers". "Chaungthonegwa village tract polling station master and principal of village school U Win Shwe and local referendum commission member and former village PDC Chairman U Hla Soe demonstrated how to cast 'YES' votes to the voters and forced them to tick 'YES' only. They forcibly took the ballot papers from the voters and ticked 'YES' by themselves and put into the ballot box when the voters were reluctant to follow their order". "Kyungone village tract PDC Chairman U Htay Kyaing said I don't care for the voter turnout rate and then he ticked 'YES' on the ballot papers by himself and put them into the ballot box. Then he closed his polling station at 11 a.m. and transferred the ballot box to the referendum commission. No one could cast votes anymore yesterday". "Sargalay village tract PDC Chairman U Win Maung kept the bank pass books and IDs from villagers with him when he compiled the voters' list. Then he threatened the villagers to cast 'YES' vote only on the polling date otherwise the bank passbooks and their land would be confiscated. Moreover he intimidated the voters by saying that all the voters must cast 'YES' only in his polling station, those who want to cast 'NO' vote need not come". "In Bogalaytaung village, local PDC Chairman and USDA organizer Ko Myint Htay kept the IDs of voters in advance with them and cast the votes themselves on polling date. When the voters came to polling station on the polling date, he threatened the voters by asking 'do you really want to cast votes'. And then he accompanied the voters into the vote room, forced them to tick 'YES' only in his presence". "Myaukpan market poll station master school teacher Daw Khin Moe force senior citizen voters to cast 'YES' votes. She threatened these old voters by saying that if they didn't cast 'YES' vote, their future would be uncertain, the land would be confiscated, they would be expelled from the village, so they should not bother and cast only 'YES' votes". "In Kyaungtike village polling station in Kawa Township, Pegu Division, the 'YES' posters were erected in front of the polling stations and station officials. The referendum commission members also forced the voters to cast 'YES' votesy. It happened in the whole of Kawa Township". ......................................................................... "MP-elect Dr. Tin Min Htut reported that the officials announced by loudspeakers that all the 'NO' voters would be punished with 3 years' imprisonment and Ks. 100,000 fine in Kyonepyaw Township, Irrawaddy Division". "Though there were no such announcements made by loudspeaker in Pantanaw Township, similar information was relayed to the voters by word of mouth. The local PDC in Myoma East Ward, Tauchaung and Theinkone villages forcibly collected absentee votes in advance to ensure getting 'YES' votes". ......................................................................... "All the absentee votes in Monyin Township, Kachin State appeared as 'YES' votes and all the votes cast today were 'NO' votes. It same thing happened in Mogaung and Myitkyinar." ......................................................................... "The latest result we received in Sadaik Ward, Kyaukdagar Township, Pegu Division is : YES vote – 907 NO vote – 147 Invalid vote – 7 Absentee votes – 400 "The number of votes which could be cast voluntarily by the voters themselves was 1441, some votes were cast as representative votes. The absentee votes were collected in advance from all households. They didn't give envelopes when they collected these absentee votes. They gave blank ballot papers only when some voters dared ask for it. In this way, we got little 'NO' votes yesterday". ......................................................................... "Myingyan Township, No. 8 Ward PDC Chairman U Tin Shwe forced the voters to cast 'YES' vote in Thetkyidan polling station. All the illiterate and ignorant voters were forced to cast 'YES' votes. The government backed USDA, Fire Brigade, Swanahshin members were deployed near the station. At State High School polling station too, the school teachers forced the voters to cast 'YES' votes. The same thing happened at Htaukpanwin polling station". "There were 412 eligible voters in Minhla Township, No. 4 Ward polling station. When the vote counting started, the preliminary result appeared as 37 'NO', 13 'YES' and 1 'Invalid'. Then the vote counting was stopped and polling station officials told all the voters who watched the counting to go home. When the voters refused to return home and insisted on staying and watching the counting, the polling station official completely stopped counting. After being repeatedly ordered to return, 10 voters who watched the counting had to go back home". "Two NLD Youth members from North Okkalapa Township visited Hlegu Township to witness and record the voting. They saw no irregularities in the urban area and found out that the turnout rate was very low there. Then they proceeded to rural areasa. They found Ngasudaung PDC members foring the voters to cast 'YES' votes by holding the voters' hands. They recorded this irregularity. Then the local officials of PDC and USDA arrested and took them to Ngasudaung PDC office. When these officials asked, theysaid that they are NLD members. But they told the officials that they came here voluntarily and not under the orders of their party in fear of NLD being framed by the regime. The local officials then threatened them by saying that they could not do so and the officials could take action against them. Then these officials deleted all the photographs taken from their camera. They reached home only at 9 p.m.". < Prev   Next >