Rakhine people oppose proportional representation, Arakan League says
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Rakhine people will object if the proportional representation (PR) electoral system is practised in the 2015 Election, according to Aye Thar Aung, chairman of Arakan League for Democracy.
Over the past month, the Arakan League for Democracy has met with local Rakhine people in nine townships and a few villages and received many votes from them to oppose the PR system.
Myanmar is currently using first-past-the-post system where a candidate gets elected after winning the most votes in a constituency.
However, in a PR system, the candidate representing a party may get elected after collecting votes for the party’s candidates from other constituencies even though he did not receive the most votes in the constituency he is competing in.
Smaller political parties including the National Unity Party, Democratic Party (Myanmar), and Kayin People’s Party have submitted to the President and the Parliament to use the PR system in the 2015 election, Aye Thar Aung said.
“If the PR system were to be used and temporary identity card holders (white card holders) were allowed to vote, we explained to the Rakhine people that this would have become a great challenge for the race, religion, and sasana of the Rakhine State,” said Aye Thar Aung.
The central committee of the Rakhine Development Party has also decided in late May to release a resolution to oppose proportional representation, saying the system could allow extremist parties in the Parliament and also complicate the voting system.
Elections Commission chairman Tin Aye has said earlier that the proposal to implement proportional representation would be submitted in the upcoming session of Parliament.
The agency could continue to use the current system if the Parliament is not able to make a decision before 2014.
