Narinjara News, January 21, 2023

Rakhine people have little interest and no confidence in the electionplanned to be held this year by the coup -regime as in many parts of Rakhinewill not permit the ballot to take place.

“ In Rakhine State, ULA/AA holds sway in many areas. That is why we can saythat it is impossible to hold a normal election without the consent of the AA, amajor stakeholder in Rakhine state,” the information officer of the ArakanStudents’ Union Ko Oo Than Naing said.

“The NUG, PDF and other armed groups have also rejected this election,” theinformation officer of the Arakan Students’ Union, added

“It is also the case that a great many governments do not accept thiselection. The US government has already dubbed it “a sham election.”

The Election Commission of the Military Council has not yet announced thedate of the election, but it is widely reported that it will be held in August2023. At present, census papers for this election have been collectedthroughout Myanmar since January 9.

“To be frank about our current situation, we have to say that the people donot have confidence in the elections. The Arakan National Party (ANP) hasalways won in Rakhine state. But we were never allowed to form a stategovernment. The main obstacle has been the military- drafted 2008constitution.”

Ko Oo Than Naing added that “ If the junta wants to hold elections in favorof the people, it is necessary to release the arrested political prisonersthroughout Myanmar, and discuss with the important political parties and ethnicarmed groups in Myanmar how to amend the 2008 constitution first.”

“ We believe that the needs of our people and the hopes of our youth cannotbe met. under this constitution so we are not interested in this kind of election,”he said.

“In the current Rakhine state, even if the Military Council campaignsvigourously, they can only be sure of running election in a small number ofcities,” he added.

The Arakan Front Party (AFP), one of the three known parties in Rakhine,will compete in the upcoming election under the political party registration law, partychairman Dr. Aye Maung said, and the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) partyhas expressed that it will not participate in any way, as it is an electionthat is preparing to revive the dictatorship.

As for the Arakan National Party (ANP), only the central committee meetingwill decide whether or not to enter the election, and party officials said thatindividual conversations are illegal.

Ko Myo Lwin, a resident of Ann, who is an environmental activist commented,“ Some parties have clearly announced that they will not participate in theelection. Many people see that the election conducted by the Military Councilis only an exercise in finding a way for the regime to hang onto power, ratherthan hand over power to the people.”

In addition to this, Ko Myo Lwin added that some of the parties that haveofficially announced that they will contest the election, are also seeing asignificant decrease in the support of the people of Rakhine.

“ Which party stands on the side of the people of Rakhine? Which partyturns a blind eye to the people? We will see in this election. Even now forsome parties that will enter the election, we see a significant decrease in thesupport of the people of Rakhine,” he said.

Ko Myo Lwin also considered that the election in Rakhine is not an electionthat can shape the wishes of the Rakhine people as the United League ofArakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) already has the policy of “The Way Of Rakhine.”

The military seized power on February 1, 2021, claiming that there was votefraud in the last 2020 election. According to the Chairman of the MilitaryCouncil, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing “ In 2023 the election will be heldagain and the state power will be transferred to the party that wins theelection.”

According to a Minbya resident, there is little interest in the election tobe held by the Military Council in Rakhine state as a whole, except for a fewmilitary family members and military supporters, the rest of the Rakhine publicis unlikely to participate.

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) said that whether or notan election will be held in Rakhine State depends on the situation at the timeof the election as well as the will of the entire Burmese people, andthroughout the history of the elections held in Rakhine State, nothing has beenable to contribute to the development of the lives of the Rakhine people.