2008 Myanmar constitutional referendum: Difference between revisions
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==Campaign== |
==Campaign== |
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During the campaign the national media was filled with items supporting a yes vote; the front page of the state press headlined "Let's vote Yes for national interest" and many songs, poems, cartoons, and editorials all urging people to vote "Yes" were in local radio, television and press.<ref name=Inq/> |
During{{fact}} the campaign the national media{{fact}} was filled with items supporting a yes vote; the front page of the state press headlined "Let's vote Yes for national interest" and many songs, poems, cartoons, and editorials all urging people to vote "Yes" were in local radio, television and press.<ref name=Inq/> |
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The opposition [[National League for Democracy]] called for people to vote No to the constitution. <ref>[http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-02-voa18.cfm Main Burmese Opposition Party Calls for Defeat of Draft Constitution], ''[[Voice of America]]'', [[2008-04-02]], accessed on [[2008-04-02]]</ref> However, the NLD claimed their campaign against the constitution was violently suppressed, with activists arrested and material confiscated. <ref name=Inq/> |
The opposition [[National League for Democracy]] called for people to vote No to the constitution. <ref>[http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-02-voa18.cfm Main Burmese Opposition Party Calls for Defeat of Draft Constitution], ''[[Voice of America]]'', [[2008-04-02]], accessed on [[2008-04-02]]</ref> However, the NLD claimed their campaign against the constitution was violently suppressed, with activists arrested and material confiscated. <ref name=Inq/> |
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Revision as of 23:16, 12 May 2008
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 Myanmar portal |
The constitutional referendum was held in Myanmar (also known as Burma) on 10 May 2008 (24 May 2008 in some townships) according to an announcement by the State Peace and Development Council in February 2008.[1] According to the military government, the new Constitution will ensure the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy"[2]. Multi-party elections will follow in 2010.
The constitutional referendum law was enacted and a referendum commission was set up on 26 February 2008.[3] Reportedly, the law ensures the secret casting of votes and requires a public count of the ballots to prove it is fair.[4]
The constitution draft was published and the date of the referendum finally announced on 9 April 2008. Among the changes that the referendum seeks to make are:
- a quarter of the parliamentary seats would be reserved for military officers
- the Ministry of Home Affairs would fall exclusively under military control [5]
- anyone married to a non-Burmese would be barred from running for the presidency.[6]
Campaign
During[citation needed] the campaign the national media[citation needed] was filled with items supporting a yes vote; the front page of the state press headlined "Let's vote Yes for national interest" and many songs, poems, cartoons, and editorials all urging people to vote "Yes" were in local radio, television and press.[6]
The opposition National League for Democracy called for people to vote No to the constitution. [7] However, the NLD claimed their campaign against the constitution was violently suppressed, with activists arrested and material confiscated. [6]
Cyclone Nargis hit Burma a few days before the referendum, and the vote was postponed to 24 May in the most severely affected areas – seven out of 26 townships in Irrawaddy Division and 40 out of 45 townships in Yangon Division. [8] United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for the referendum to be postponed in full to concentrate on the "national tragedy", but the government rejected this. [9]
Voting
There were many allegations of electoral fraud on the day of the election, including:
- Officials giving out ballot papers already filled in with a tick [10]
- Voters ordered to complete votes for their relatives [11]
- Government officials sitting close to the ballot boxes and telling voters how to vote [10] [11]
- Voters bribed to vote yes [9]
- Officials closing polling stations at 11am and then going to the houses of people who hadn't voted and making them vote then [10]
Opposition groups including the All Burma Monks Alliance, the 88 Generation Students and the All Burma Federation of Student Unions described the referendum as a sham. [10]
Voting Dates
10 May 2008
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After of the first day of referendum, the Democratic Promotion Organ of Burma and the Democratic Voice of Burma jointly stated in reference to the interviews with the people who were present at the referendum that the opposing votes could barely be made because as soon as a person arrived at a polling unit, he will be granted by an official a ballot which was already marked "support". Any person declining to receive such already-marked ballot will be sent to prison. At the polling unit, there existed two ballot boxes which the officials could see and incessantly made record on how the people have voted. Furthermore, many people did not understand about the procedures in the referendum. The Burmese junta stated that this referendum will easily be supported.[12]
References
- ^ Burma sets date for popular votes BBC News, 9 February 2008
- ^ "Burma's military issues warning before poll", ABC Radio Australia, April 9, 2008
- ^ Myanmar enacts constitutional referendum law, form referendum commission - People's Daily Online
- ^ english.eastday.com
- ^ New Burma constitution published, BBC, 2008-04-09, accessed on 2008-04-10
- ^ a b c Many voices silenced as Myanmar vote campaign gets under way, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2008-04-20
- ^ Main Burmese Opposition Party Calls for Defeat of Draft Constitution, Voice of America, 2008-04-02, accessed on 2008-04-02
- ^ Myanmar says referendum will go ahead in most of country, Forbes, 2008-05-06, accessed on 2008-05-07
- ^ a b UN flies in aid, as Burmese junta conducts polls, Bangkok Post, 2008-05-10, accessed on 2008-05-10
- ^ a b c d Massive Cheating Reported from Referendum Polling Stations, The Irrawaddy, 2008-05-10, accessed on 2008-05-10
- ^ a b Burmese voice anger on poll day, BBC, 2008-05-10, accessed on 2008-05-10
- ^ "Public cried: dirty referendum, already-designated result", Thairath, 2008-05-11, retrieved on 2008-05-11.
