Myanmar’s Union Election Commission on Tuesday said that it will prosecute ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 15 other politicians for alleged fraud in elections held in the country last November, AP reported.
The poll body’s decision could could potentially result in Suu Kyi’s party being dissolved. This would mean that her outfit, the National League for Democracy, will not be able to participate in elections, which the ruling military regime has promised will take place within two years of its takeover.
The Myanmar military took over power in the country in a coup on February 1 following the victory of National League for Democracy in the national elections in November. The military had then claimed that alleged voter fraud in the election justified the power grab.
The new election commission formed after the coup had declared the poll results as invalid.
The poll panel has now claimed that Suu Kyi, former President Win Myint, other leaders of the National League for Democracy and the former chairperson of the old election commission were “involved in electoral processes, election fraud and lawless actions”.
The new election commission alleged that they compelled local election officials to obstruct military polling booths and forced officials to approve voting lists that included ineligible voters.
Suu Kyi already faces trial or has been charged in about a dozen criminal cases. If convicted, she may be barred from running for office again.
A court in Myanmar’s capital of Naypyitaw is slated to give a verdict on November 30 in a case involving Suu Kyi, AP quoted a person familiar with the proceedings as saying.
Suu Kyi is currently under house arrest and has not been seen in public since the coup. A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military, Major General Zaw Min Tun, told the BBC on Tuesday that she is being treated well.
“We try our best for her, what she wants or whatever she wants to eat,” the spokesperson said.
However, the ousted leader’s lawyers claimed that the military government has banned them for speaking about the case and that United Nations representatives seeking to see her have not been allowed into the country.
Zaw Min Tun said that it was not the right time to allow United Nations officials to enter the country to see Suu Kyi. “We can’t agree with their demands...And what they say about Myanmar is not constructive,” he said.
Myanmar coup
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy had won a landslide victory in national elections in Myanmar in November last year. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party fared poorly in its key strongholds.
The country’s military refused to accept the government, citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. It was also announced that the coup was the result of the government’s failure to delay the November election despite the outbreak of the coronavirus. The military’s takeover drew criticism from several foreign governments.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!