Burma Announces Date of Parliamentary Elections
Burma Announces Date of Parliamentary Elections
The voting will be the first since 1990
VOA News13 August 2010
Burma’s military government says the country’s long-awaited elections will be held November 7.
The regime made the announcement Friday over state-controlled radio and television outlets.
The November elections will be the first in Burma since 1990, when the opposition National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The ruling junta refused to recognize the results.
The NLD refused to register for this year’s elections, because its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is effectively barred from participating in the elections. The Nobel Peace laureate has been under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years.
At least 40 political parties have registered for the elections, which critics have called a sham designed to keep the ruling military junta in power. At least seven of the parties standing in the election are aligned with the regime.
The NLD was officially disbanded in May under the current laws, but a group of NLD members have formed a breakaway party to stand in the elections.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters
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