Census implications on 2015 election

There is a smaller number of people than expected who have the right to vote, and if the announcement of poll results is delayed for whatever reason, it is feared that some groups may be preparing to do unfair things in the election. So, they said it is imperative that the census results are stated in detail before 2015.

Win Myint, spokesperson for the National League for Democracy (NLD), said: “The initial census result now stated is known not to be the final announcement yet. For that, we are watching when the final result will come out.”

Similarly, Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, from the Committee for Chin Ethnic People Supporting the 2014 Census, said: “The people staying in foreign countries are also our citizens. I think they should have the right to vote. Otherwise, there might be gaps in the number of people who should vote, the situation for voting, and the voting figures related to the main population.

“If the announcement of the [final] census results is only made in May 2015, rumours relating to the election will emerge. The government said they have prepared well for that. But the situation shows that the [timing of the final] census result and its announcement need to be reconsidered.”

Aung Kyi Nyunt, a Lower House MP from the NLD, said: “Though a huge project was planned for the collection of the national census at first, it was found to be unsystematic in reality. As the national census is important not only for elections but also for the country, the final figures need to be announced as fast as possible. Delaying like this is not good for the nation.”

Dr Yan Myo Thein, a writer of political articles, said that full census findings needed to be announced before the start of electioneering for the election – and population figures and the names of people who are able to vote also needed to match.

He said: “It is obvious when we look at the population figures stated during the 2010 election – the figures for people who have the right to vote and who went to vote were proclaimed exactly in 2010, and also in 2008. Even now, the population is not yet 60 million.

“How can it be possible that we had this 60 million people in 2008 and 2010? The population at those times was in excess [of the figure just announced], which means the situation [outcome of the poll] was not relevant to the political view. In my opinion, the stating of [final] census results are being delayed because if it they are announced, the gaps and [identity of those] “missing” may come out when it is checked with the figures from 2008 and 2010.”

In a related move, work to draw up nationwide electoral lists is likely to begin next month for the 2015 general election, said Win Kyi, a member of the Union Election Commission (UEC).

The UEC, civic organisations and the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) held a coordination meeting on Friday to plan future work procedures, based on experiences gained during the provisional compilation of voter lists this year.

“We hope it will start in September and finish in August in 2015,” Win Kyi said. 

Provisional voter or electoral lists were compiled in Ahlon Township in Yangon, plus Myitkyina’s Constituency-1 in Kachin State and Tiddim Township in Chin State from June up to this month.

“Most of the people in the townships were unaware of the compilation of voter lists as the township commissions were weak in making this known to the public,” Win Kyi said.

A total of 26 civic organisations participated in the provisional compilation of voter lists and were recognized by the UEC. For the nationwide collection of voter lists, more civic groups are likely to participate than currently.