Myanmar issues five new election laws

Yangon - Myanmar's military regime on Monday promulgated long-delayed laws related to a general election planned this year. State television cited new laws regarding an election commission, the political party registration process and on election rules for members of parliament and regional legislatures.

"Details of the laws will be available in state newspapers on Tuesday," Myanmar TV reported.

The junta has announced plans to hold a general election some time this year, but has been slow to issue laws governing the polls and registration process.

"The legislation took a long time to draft because we wanted it to be as flexible as possible," said one official source, who asked to remain anonymous.

It was not immediately clear whether the political party registration law had been written in such a way to exclude the National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party from contesting the polls.

The NLD is led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest, where she has spent 14 of the past 21 years.

"It's too early to comment on the laws," NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

The party won Myanmar's last general election in 1990 with a landslide victory, but has been denied from taking office by the ruling junta for the past 20 years.

Myanmar's generals argued that the country needed a new constitution before power could be passed over to civilian rule.

A military-drafted charter was pushed through and approved by a plebiscite in May 2008. The new constitution cements the military's control over any elected government through the National Parliament, primarily an appointed body that has veto power over all legislation.

Myanmar has been ruled by military dictatorships since 1962.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312989,myanmar-issues-five-new-election-laws.html.