7 November 2010

Burmese elections held today - outcome predictable

Today Burmese people have had their first opportunity in two decades to elect a new government. It is a shame that these elections are a farce, says Maryan Street, the Opposition Foreign Affairs Spokesperson.

"If these elections were genuine, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would have been released from detention and been allowed to participate in them," said Maryan Street.

"If these elections were free and fair, 2200 political prisoners would have been released from prison and allowed to meet, speak and organise to be represented in the new parliament," she said.

"If these elections were democratic, we would be able to look forward to the Burmese people being governed by their chosen representatives. But none of these conditions has happened or will happen.

"The international community knows that these elections are a farce and many countries, from the Philippines to the United States, have said as much.

"Burmese people need more from their leaders than simply swapping uniforms for civilian clothes. They need real democratic reform and a government which leads the process of reconciliation, peace, freedom and economic growth. They will not get that from the inevitable results of today's so-called election," said Maryan Street.

"Our next challenge is to engage with the 'new' government to move them from this constitutional reform which is heavily weighted in favour of the military, to real democratic reform which can be trusted by the Burmese people," she said.

ends

© Scoop Media