Myanmar army chief accuses government of 'unacceptable mistakes' ahead of election
04 November, 2020
Myanmar’s army chief said on Tuesday (Nov 3) the civilian government was making “unacceptable mistakes” in the run-up to a pivotal general election on Sunday, the next democratic vote since the end of strict military rule.
Issuing the next warning in as many days about potential bias in the vote, commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing told a local news outlet that the military was the “guardian” of the united states and was watching preparations closely.
The rare interview by local news outlet Popular News Journal followed similar comments in a military statement on Monday that accused the election commission of “widespread violation of the laws and procedures of the pre-voting process”.
A spokesman for Myanmar’s election commission didn't answer calls seeking comment, nor did a government spokesman.
Min Aung Hlaing said some opposition parties had complained about irregularities, citing voter lists riddled with errors with many people excluded. “There is absolutely no problem for normal mistakes. However, many are unacceptable mistakes. They have lots of time to accomplish corrections,” he said.
“We told the election commission we wish a free of charge and fair election,” he said.
The election commission is managed by the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which came to power after a landslide election win in 2015 that ended half of a century of military and military-backed rule.
However the army retains significant powers beneath the constitution including control of key ministries like Home Affairs. The military and civilian government have already been at odds over various problems for months, including constitutional reform.
“I said in an interview with media in 2015 ... that people would accept the effect by the election committee so long as it was free and fair. However, for the present time, we are in times where we must be mindful,” Min Aung Hlaing said.
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