The junta that has ruled Myanmar since the February 1 military coup has threatened to dissolve the political party of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi for alleged fraud in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Myanmar Election Commission Chairman Thein Soe said the investigation into the results of elections held in November last year, in which the military-backed party was defeated, was nearing completion.
“We will analyze what we should do with the party [Liga Nacional para a Democracia, LND] who acted illegally: either to dissolve it or to prosecute those who committed these illegal acts, as traitors to the nation, ”Soe said in a video released by the local press.
The Election Commission met with political parties on Friday (21) to discuss possible changes to the electoral system, but the LND was not represented at the meeting.
The head of the military junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, presented the alleged fraud in the elections as one of the justifications for the February 1 coup, in which Suu Kyi, the President of Myanmar, Win Myint, and other LND leaders were removed and jailed. .
The legend, who has ruled the country since 2015, won 83% of the vote and won 396 of the 476 seats in parliament in the November election, but was unable to take over when the coup was implemented on the day. of the inauguration of the new legislature. The Solidarity and Development Union Party, supported by the military, won only 33 seats.
A local media outlet reported on Thursday (20) that the board had removed the retirement age limit for generals, which would allow Hlaing to remain in power even after turning 65 in July.
On assuming command of the country, the army declared a state of emergency for at least a year and promised to transfer power after “the holding of free and fair elections”. For a country that has lived almost 50 years under military rule, however, the promise seemed vague and without commitment to democratic values.
Nearly four months after the coup, Myanmar experiences a reign of terror, with a popular uprising suppressed by blood and fire, an economy crippled by a general strike and intense fighting between the army and rebel factions .
The crackdown on protesters and pro-democracy dissidents has left more than 800 dead since February 1. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to leave their homes due to clashes between armed forces and ethnic militias, which are rife in the country.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has not been seen in public since her arrest. Under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw, the former civilian leader is expected to attend an in-person hearing for the first time next Monday (24).
She is charged with four criminal charges. The first two, presented during coup week, were the illegal importation of six walkie-talkies and an alleged violation of protocols to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The other two are for allegedly violating a telecommunications law which stipulates licenses for equipment and another for publishing information likely to “frighten or alarm”, a practice opposed by the penal code of the time. colonial. If found guilty, the Burmese woman can be banned from political life forever and even sentenced to long years in prison.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF MYANMAR
1948: Former British colony, Myanmar becomes an independent country 1962: General Ne Win abolishes the 1947 Constitution and establishes a military regime 1974: The first post-independence Constitution begins 1988: The violent repression of demonstrations against the military regime generates international criticism 1990: National League for Democracy (LND), opposed to the regime, wins the first multiparty election in 30 years and is barred from coming to power 1991: Aung San Suu Kyi, of the LND, wins the Nobel Peace Prize 1997: US and EU impose sanctions on Myanmar for human rights violations and disrespect for 2008 election results: Assembly approves new Constitution 2011: Thein Sein, a general retired, is elected president and the military regime is dissolved 2015: The LND obtains the majority in both chambers of Parliament 2016: Htin Kyaw is elected first civilian president since the coup d State of 1962 and Suu Kyi assumes the post of State Councilor, equivalent to that of Prime Minister 2018: Kyaw resigns and Win Myi nt assumes the 2020 presidency: in the legislative elections, the LND receives 83% of the vote and defeats the pro-military party 2021: army alleges election fraud, arrests LND leaders and seizes power with new coup