Suu Kyi pushes forward her election education efforts

Speaking before a session of the Lower House in Nay Pyi Taw, she said: “Some organisations also want to do what we are doing. But we have to be careful that they might try to persuade or threaten the public to give them votes. What we are doing is not meant for any party. Although I want my party to get votes, being on the voter lists is more important. We don’t have the right to know what party they will vote for. If we help others to be on the lists in return for votes, we can say there is no freedom,” said Suu Kyi.
On July 27 , she visited homes in Pobbathiri Township in the capital city, to educate residents about the lists.
“When I went around Pobbathiri, it took about two and a half hours to do the process in one street. So we have to take time,” she said. She understood that some politicians oppose her campaign as they didn’t want voters to check the voter lists. She said that some could lose in the race if more people go to polling booths.
 Suu Kyi said that it is important that all know about the voter lists and how important the election is for citizens before the election campaign starts. Young people are being urged to help as the election will be held in November.
“Don’t act like this is none of your concern. Everyone has the duty to [elect] the government they desire. I have warned many times about attitudes where people think it’s OK not to vote. If everyone thinks the same, no one will vote. I want you to think it doesn’t matter whether other people vote as long as you cast your vote,” she said.
She urged the public to ensure the voter lists were correct as not everyone got the chance to vote in an election to change their country’s future.
To the local residents, she said “I cast my vote only once as I was under house arrest and wasn’t allowed to cast my vote freely like now. I could only give an advance vote when I was under house arrest.”
She told them that voting is allowed even when voters are not the members of any parties. She also assured them that nobody would know who they vote for.
Referring to the failure to amend a key point in the Constitution, she said the country’s fate is in the hands of few people. It would remain unchanged if people do not cast votes.
 “Young people should be more active and interested about the election. Some think it does not concern them. Politics can ensure children get to study in good schools. Parents should think about their children. Everyone has the duty to vote. If you don’t do it and fulfil your duty when you have the chance, that’s because you’re incompetent.
She said the NLD needed to win more than 75 per cent of parliamentary seats to change the Constitution.
NLD has been active in spotting errors in voter lists. It said that in some townships in Yangon, the lists are 80 per cent wrong. The best lists also have 30-per cent errors.
NLD members of the voter list scrutiny team planned a meeting with the Union Election Commission (UEC) for a discussion on the errors.
Tun Tun Hein, executive member of the NLD, said: “Some authorities said correction forms could be used if errors were found. But how many will we need and what happens when they run out? We need to discuss many challenges with the UEC.”
Yin Yin New noted that none of over 600 eligible voters from the fifth ward in Mayangon Township are included in the voter lists. 
Hla Maung said a village from Kyauktan Township has 2,448 eligible voters and 1,754 of them have the same dates of birth listed.