200 sailors listed in two constituencies: NLD
Candidates from the National League for Democracy (NLD) have written to the Coco Island Township election sub-commission calling for a reassessment of the 200 naval service personnel who are on the voter lists at both the Panmawady regional headquarters o
Win Min, the NLD's Lower House candidate for Coco, said the Haigyi headquarters had 1,430 voters and the Coco naval base had 570, with more than 200 voters overlapping.
He said he had no idea whether those 200 sailors were based on Haigyi or Coco.
"We informed the election sub-commission for reassessment. No one should be able to vote in two places. Legal action can be taken against anyone that does. If service personnel vote twice, they could face action," said Win Min.
Election law stipulates that anyone who votes in more than one constituency could face a maximum of one year’s imprisonment plus a fine.
The Coco sub-commission said the constituency had 1,571 registered voters, among them more than 700 military personnel and their families. There were about 990 settlers in the township.
The Union Solidarity and Development Party Coco candidates are Thura Thet Swe (retired admiral and naval chief) for the Lower House and U Tin Win (ex-Yangon Region border security minister) and Aung Naing for the Yangon regional parliament and Upper House candidate Dr Khin Shwe.
The NLD’s candidates finally managed to leave for the island on October 20 on a vessel owned by the Department of Marine Transport Administration before arriving on October 22.
NLD candidates had to struggle to reach the atoll and now have little time to campaign.
USDP hopefuls have been flown in with military aircraft, enjoying a full 60 days to boost support.
