When Military Junta Proposes Elections in Myanmar

By Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam 7 October 2024 The electoral process in Myanmar (also known as Burma and Brahmadesh), which is adjacent to India’s north-eastern region, remains largely doubtful. The southeast Asian nation, which got independence soon after India, continues to draw media attention for the wrong reason precisely on election issues. A powerful armed forces often dictate the political leadership there and since a new Constitution was drafted in 1988 by the militaries the situation turned more uncertain for the millions of pro-democracy activists as it has reserved a sizable number of seats in the Parliament for the military persons and their associates. Amending the Burmese army-drafted Constitution becomes difficult as the country is still ruled by the military junta. Unless there is a crack in the military fraternity, Myanmar will never have a free election and so thus a fair outcome under this ill-designed Constitution. A recent report, released by Stockholm-based inter-governmental organisation IDEA International, however claimed that disputed elections have become almost a global phenomenon with the diminishing voters’ turnout and increasingly questionable election results. A large number of countries including Myanmar (also the United States of America) faced problems as a result of direct interference in the electoral process and other poll disputes. When the former US President (also the Presidential candidate) Donald Trump’s Republican Party disputed the results of 2020 elections, the Burmese junta questioned the outcome of 2020 national polls and taking advantage of the situation the military rulers orchestrated a coup on 1 February 2021. The poverty-stricken country is still under the group of military dictators, who ousted the Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy government in Naypyitaw (new capital after Yangon) to grab power. As for Myanmar, it is caught up in a conundrum. While the majority of its citizens want the junta ousted and call for free-and-fair elections, the Myanmar junta has stifled the democratic process and any poll carried while the junta remains in power will be boycotted by the electorate and not represent the will of the people said the IDEA International, adding that across the world the electorates are questioning the poll process and losing faith in the exercise. When it comes to Myanmar, few can take the junta’s election promise seriously. But down the road, when the junta is eventually ousted from power, careful consideration will need to be given to Myanmar’s electoral process under what proponents say will be a federal system. The world’s democracies are in trouble, asserted the international body, adding that it would be wise for Myanmar to keep an eye on how the wind is blowing globally when it comes to considering rebuilding its democratic process. Even though the Min Aung Hlaing-led military junta, which is ruling the Buddhist majority country under the State Administration Council, now plans for the general elections by the end of next year, the country of 55 million people continues to face a civil war. The military personnel are targeting the civilians and in response the armed groups and ethnic insurgents have challenged the men in uniform. On various occasions, the close relatives of the armed forces face public outrages and even vioent attacks. The junta’s aggression resulted in killing of thousands of common Burmese nationals and displacing more civilians, where many of them sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Thailand, Bangladesh and India. As Myanmar shares a border of over 1,600 kilometers with India, the Union government in New Delhi needs to be sensitive while addressing the issues. A good number of north-eastern militants are still taking shelter in the jungles of northern Myanmar and they have been waging a war against New Delhi for decades. However, they are currently facing a big challenge from the anti-junta people’s militia as the Burmese people now want the militants to come out of their country. In a new development, various anti-junta armed groups have been invited to New Delhi for a seminar highlighting Myanmar's evolving democracy. If everything goes well, the initiative, partially sponsored by New Delhi, may bring a new era with a policy shift towards the eastern neighbour. Needless to mention that New Delhi has heavily invested in the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project which is now stalled because of internal conflicts precisely in Arakan and Chin States of western Myanmar. Kaladan project was projected as a major development initiative inside Myanmar with an aim to connect the land-locked eastern region with the port in Sittwe of Rakhine/Arakan State. Moreover, the construction of a Myanmar-India-Thailand highway is also on the cards for New Delhi and hence it is widely expected a stable democratic regime in the country of Golden Pagodas. Hopefully the proposed election in Myanmar will be a participatory one and help the Burmese people establish a progressive regime for their benefits as well as the entire southeast Asian region. ----- Nava Thakuria is a northeast India-based professional journalist who is an engineering graduate. 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