CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

10. Member of the Union Election Commission (UEC) U Khin Maung Oo explained that the Union Election Commission (UEC) is scrutinizing and releasing the latest soft copies of the voter list used by the relevant township sub-commissions in the 2020 General Election.

According to the released statements issued from 16 February to 8 April 2021, 14,214 polling stations in 106 townships in 11 States/Regions and Union Territory were inspected. It was found that there were 14,485,330 voters, according to the township electoral commission list. However, there were only 11,111,816 voters according to the list from the Immigration Department, with a difference of 3,373,514 people.

Among them, there were 1,554,157 people included on the voter list without holding the national identity card; a total of 111,239 people were included on the voter list three times or more by one national ID card; a total of 1,118,787 people were included two times in the voter list; there are a total of 2,784,183 people who were on the voter list without ID cards and duplicated the voter list, and the percentage is 19.22 per cent of the voters.

These reports are just based on the findings of each township. If cross-checkes with other Regions/District/Townships are included, the Tatmadaw True News Information Team found that the number of fraudulent cases based on PDFs and CDs of the voter list in 315 townships was probably more than 10,482,116 people or more than 28.17 per cent.

Comparing the Tatmadaw scrutinized results to the Union Election Commission’s scrutiny findings on the voter lists in the 106 townships, the commission found that there were 63,927 people without any national ID card, and 358,018 people were duplicated on the voter list more than once.

Regarding the inspection and report on the ballot papers used in the 2020 general election, the members of the UEC, relevant township sub election commission members, department officials and staff from every level of the sub-commission systematically opened the ballot papers of 13,192 polling stations in 101 townships in 8 State/Region and Union Territory. According to the findings, there were 14,984,528 withdrawn ballot papers; 9,714,286 ballot papers were used. Although a total of 5,270,242 ballot papers must have remained, only 4,841,503 have remained on the ground. The difference is 597,403 ballot papers are lost, and 168,664 are extra.

He explained that voter fraud is inconsistent with the relevant election law, rules and regulations of the ward/village tract of the sub election commission and the polling station staffing guidelines.

11. Regarding the current and future activities of the Union Election Commission, he said collective inspection teams are inspecting the voter lists and the ballot papers in the respective states, regions and Union Territory and releasing the finding reports with statistics in detail through state-owned Television, newspapers and radios every day. The findings and fraudulence were explained in detail with PowerPoint and video clip presentation in previous press conferences.

He said the 2020 General Election was held in spite of the difficulties and restrictions, with the severe problems that arose, unlike the previous elections. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there were many limitations and challenges in electoral administration and management processes such as voter registration, printing and submission of ballot papers, including the procurement and distribution of election materials. There were also many difficulties in nominating candidates, campaigning and during recording and broadcasting activities for the radio and television broadcast according to the COVID-19 health guidelines. There were calls for advice by relevant organizations and parties and a postponement of the election. It was not possible to fully train the polling station staff by the UEC. Although it was challenging to deliver advance ballot papers and polling station equipment for remote and restricted areas on time, the Tatmadaw provided helicopter, ships and flights to deliver those on time.

Highlights of the 2020 General Election include door-to-door polling of voters aged 60 and over in the Stay-at-Home areas due to the COVID-19 outbreak; voters over the age of 60 and over were allowed to vote in advance at ward/village tract sub-commissions; those who were not able to go back home could vote by Form 15; amending directives for advance voting and election day voting were issued; there were also directives which needed to be scrutinized whether it was in accordance with the relevant Hluttaw Election Law and Rules; There was a great deal of opposition and controversy in announcing the list of constituencies where elections could not be held due to security concerns. Another highlight is the large number of advance voters, who were able to cast their ballots in advance, with many disputes and complaints on advance voting.

Out of 27,512,855 voters in the 2020 General Election, 5,884,420 people cast their ballots in advance, accounting for 21.38 per cent of the total.

He said voter fraud cases had also been explained in the previous press conferences with video clips and photos.

12. Then, the inventory of findings in ballot papers used in the 2020 General Election was also released. It found missing ballots, extra ballots and illegal use of excess votes. At No (2) polling station of Khayan Set Gone Village-tract of Tatkon Township, the voter’s name and fingerprints were recorded for two remaining ballots. They left in the ballot books with receipts (they are not in conformity with the procedure). The Ward/Village-tract election sub-commission from the townships including Pyawbwe, Tamway, Chanmyathazi, Paukkhaung, Monwya, Hlegu townships returned the used ballot receipts and unused ballots to the respective township election sub-commission later 8 November 2020 and during this inspection period. At No (1) polling station in Kyaung Kone Village-tract in Pauk Township, it found that voters’ names, polling station numbers and ward/village-tract names were not mentioned in one book of ballot receipts. Similarly, it found 197 ballot receipts at No (2) polling station in Mone Yway Village-tract in Monwya Township. (It is hard to identify the voter. It can be voting fraud. It also found ballot books with fewer than 50 pages while other books with more than 50 pages in some townships, including Chipwe Township. Yesagyo Township election sub-commission wrongly distributed township advance ballots with the names of Magway township Pyithu Hluttaw candidates Daw Tin Moe Khine (UBP), U Myint Oo (NLD), U Win Ko Ko (PPP), U Than Htwe (NUP), U Aung San Oo (UDP) and U Aung Thein Kyaw (USDP) instead of the names of Yesagyo Township Pyithu Hluttaw candidates U Kyaw Naing Oo (UBP), U Chan Min (USDP), Thayay Sithu U Soe Maung (NDP), U Tin Aung (PPP), U Lwin Myint Oo (NLD) and U Aung Myint Kyi (NUP).

During the advance voting period between 31 October and 3 November 2020, a total of 945 voters cast votes -- 278 voters with wrong ballots and 667 voters at 8 polling stations in 7 Wards/Village-tracts. Therefore, the township election sub-commission saved these 945 ballots and 5 remaining ballots at the township police station and granted 19 ballot parcels containing 950 ballots to cast votes again.

When the new ballot books were examined, it found out that 2,050 ballots (41 books) without the names of Yesagyo Pyithu Hluttaw candidates but the names of Magway Township Pyithu Hluttaw candidates. Then, they were saved at the police station. The five sealed ballot packages at the Yesagyo election sub-commission were found with NLD labels, and so they seemed to be the ballots sent by the NLD office, and it could not be supposed to be valid votes, and that was vote-rigging.

Similarly, the extra/shortage ballots were also found at regions/states. It also found that although it staged Sinbaungwe Township on (1) book cover of Sinbaungwe Township election sub-commission in Magway Region, the ballots inside the books were for Min Hla Township Pyithu Hluttaw Election.

Then, the ballot books issued for Natmauk Township of Magway Region, it stated Magway Region Hluttaw Constituency (2) on 22 books’ covers. The ballots inside the books were Region Hluttaw ballots for Myothit Township. Moreover, the two books granted for Pauk Township sub-commission of Magway Region, the first two pages of these two books were printed as Pauk Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots. The other 16 pages were Pwintbyu Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots, and the other 32 pages were Pauk Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots. The 26 pages of the first book were Pauk Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots, and 24 pages were Pyitbuy Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots. Moreover, one Pyithu Hluttaw ballot book issued to the Ngephe Township election sub-commission of Magway Region, the first two pages of the book were Saw Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots. One Region Hluttaw Constituency (2) ballot book was granted to Salin Township of Magway Region. The book cover was stated as Region Hluttaw Constituency (2). But the ballots inside the books were for Region Hluttaw Constituency (2) of Nattalin Township. Moreover, the 38 Pyithu Hluttaw ballot books granted to Yesagyo Township of Magway Region, it contained Magway Township Pyithu Hluttaw ballots. Of the ballots granted to Min Hla Township of Magway Region, 836 books were stained, while 15 books contained only 48 pages instead of 50 and 35 books contained 52 pages instead of 50 pages. In 30 ballot books for Ayotha Hluttaw Constituency (11) for Thandwe Township of Rakhine State, it contained 419 ballots for Amyotha Hluttaw Constituencies (1), (8) and (10). The ballots for Bamar Ethnic granted to Loilen Township election sub-commission of Shan State, it contained 30 pages with the stain of ink, and the relevant sub-commissions held a coordination meeting with negotiation committees. During the inspection, it did not found ballot receipts for Pyithu Hluttaw at No 2 polling station in Boke Kone Village of Kani Township, but the remaining township advanced ballots. When the case was examined, the poll head saved the ballot receipts and did not return them to the relevant officials. It found 9,350 remaining ballots (187 books) and 9 books without serial numbers of ballots. Of these 9 books, it found 4 used ballot receipts without the signature or fingerprint of the voter in one book. The inspection team also examined the ballots for Kayin Ethnic of Bago Region Hluttaw used at No (1) polling station in Sit Kone (1) Village-tract in Gyobingauk Township. It found 73 valid votes used in the 2015 General Election were found among the valid votes for Daw Naw Pwal Say, NLD’s Kayin Ethnic Affairs candidate. Moreover, the voters from the other seven polling stations cast their advance votes at No (2) Polling station of Chaung Yin Village-tract of Nyaunglebin Township of Bago Region. The voters did not sign or file the documents. In Form (1), the names of U Tun Myint, U Win Myint, Daw Khin Shwe, Daw Nway Nway Hlaing and Daw Hay Man Oo were added with pencil and other facts of them were not filled in the forms. But they cast their votes. According to the inspection on Form (1) of voter lists for Pyithu Hluttaw at No (3) polling station in No (7) Ward of Thayet Township, in Ward/ Village-tract advance ballot lists, it found the note like “cast vote via phone as they could not enter the city” at list No 995 Daw Aye Aye Aung, No 998 Daw Mine Mal Sin and No 1000 U Yan Naing Lin. Therefore, these cases, which do not conform to the Hluttaw Election Law and Rules, were found out. The relevant records, pieces of evidence and sample ballot receipts were also displayed during this press conference. According to the data received from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the lawsuits in the 2020 General Election, there were a total of 546 cases opened at police stations until 6 April 2021. Among these cases, they are 334 charges, 172 withdrawals and 40 ongoing cases. There were also 287 complaints — 94 by voters and 193 by Hluttaw candidates. These numbers were higher than the former elections as there were 29 complaints in the 2010 General Election and 45 complaints in the 2015 General Election. The UEC has conducted the necessary measures, including five future programmes of the State Administration Council and inspection of the voting lists in line with the law. If the undertakings completed in line with the state of emergency provisions, the UEC will also organize a free and fair multiparty general election according to the 2008 Constitution.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar