In the latest development during the run-up to the 2010 proposed elections in Burma, key figures within the ruling military junta including Prime Minister Thein Sein have stepped down from their military posts and applied to register a new political party with the electoral commission.
Currently, Burma is governed by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) led by General Than Shwe - both he and his number two Maung Aye are believed to have retained their military posts - and, supposing that as expected the junta or their sympathisers prevail, it is not yet clear what form the leadership will take after the polls have closed.
Burma's Prime Minister Resigns From his Military Post
Although no official announcement has been made it has become apparent that Prime Minister Thein Sein has recently stepped down from his position as a General along with around twenty other members of the ruling SPDC in order to contest the forthcoming election as civilians. These key leadership figures have also applied to the recently formed electoral commission to register a new political party: the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is directly linked to the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) the ruling junta's mass political organisation.
The decision for such senior figures to resign their posts and contest the election as civilians should ensure that the military's influence continues following an election for which the junta's own constitution stipulates that 75% of seats can only be contested by civilian candidates, whilst the remainder have been already reserved for military personnel.
Burma's Election Rules Exclude Aung San Suu Kyi
The key question on the lips of many Burma watchers following the announcement of these elections was how the junta would deal with the thorny problem of veteran pro-democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD), which had been victorious in the last polls in 1990, but was never allowed to assume power. The SPDC has cleverly crafted a set of rules which exclude not only Aung San Suu Kyi but also most senior NLD members from taking part in the election, and which have led to the party effectively signing its own death warrant by refusing to take part in the election.
The SPDC issued five election rules with a view to limiting opposition parties from taking part, the most important one stated that those who have been convicted of a crime and / or are serving a jail term are excluded from being a member of a political party. Had the NLD decided to contest the election it would have had to expel Ms. Suu Kyi and many other prominent figures from the party before registering with the electoral commission.
Additionally, any political party that does not register with the electoral commission before the deadline is considered an illegal organisation by the SPDC, so the NLD is effectively constrained to disband before this date and will therefore cease to exist as an opposition voice.
International Opposition Towards Burmese Election Grows
International opposition towards the repressive measures announced ahead of the Burmese polls has continued to grow, with a host of countries voicing concern that the election will be neither free nor fair and excludes opposition groups. The ASEAN organisation, of which Burma is a highly contentious member, has yet to make an official announcement, although governmental representatives from both Indonesia and the Philippines have gone on record criticising the way in which the election is being organised.
The SPDC's behaviour has also been condemned by the USA and the UK as well as by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, but, given that the junta has demonstrated such a flagrant disregard for unfavourable international opinion in the past it is unlikely to take heed now at a time when it is seeking to legitimise and entrench military rule within the country through its discredited 'roadmap to democracy'.
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