Critical steps recommended for transparent election in Myanmar

The statement was issued by the embassies of Australia, Denmark, the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

In the statement, they said that based on international best practice, the countries are coordinating the donor support to government and non-government organisations in this electoral process. 

“Credible, transparent, and inclusive electoral processes require long-term engagement with all stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle. We understand that building confidence in an election starts well before Election Day and includes confidence in the integrity of international election support.

“As donors and partners, we also commit to adhere to the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and equity. Our assistance aims to support and institutionalise the democratic process, and does not support any specific party or candidate,” the statement said.

The joint statement, also aimed to welcome the political reforms and support Myanmar’s efforts to prepare for the elections, was issued by the embassies of Australia, Denmark, the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The statement was released a day after the rare one-on-one meeting between President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw.

President Thein Sein and Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi had a rare meeting on Monday, the sixth round of talks since the latter was released from house arrest in 2010.

The 30-minute meeting began at about 6pm at the president's farm house, sources for both the president and Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party confirmed.

"It was an exclusive meeting between them," presidential spokesperson and Information Minister Ye Htut wrote on his Facebook page. "They discussed constitutional amendment and the holding of free and fair elections."

When contacted about the meeting, an official from the president’s office said he did not want to make further comment.

Prior to meeting the president, Aung San Suu Kyi met residents in Aunglan, but did not reveal then that she would later be meeting with Thein Sein.

Thein Sein approved a constitutional referendum law last month following domestic and international pressure to reform apolitical system long stacked in favour of the military. The army oversaw 49 years of brutal rule and left the Southeast Asian country impoverished and chronically underdeveloped.

In the joint statement, the western countries said that while not every donor is involved in each of the following activities, donor assistance is coordinated to address the following elements in the electoral process.

They promised the Union Election Commission (UEC) technical support on international best practices as it relates to electoral administration, including an updated national voter list.

They will also support training and deployment of election observers to enhance transparency and build voter confidence in the integrity of the election. 

Support will also be provided to stakeholders’ capacity building, including political parties, as well as civil society organisations and media organisations. Civil society organisations are assisted as they continue to promote voter registration and conduct voter education campaigns. They are also supporting media training to help ensure accurate, impartial, and reliable information about the elections is widely available to the public.

They also encouraged UEC, civil society organisations, the media, and political parties to hold regular dialogues on the regulatory framework, organisation, and management of the electoral process.

“In addition to our targeted elections support, we will continue to promote a peaceful and inclusive election environment. Freedom of the media, freedom of expression, non-discrimination, and protection of human and associated rights are central to a credible election process,” they concluded.