Myanmar Opposition rejects ‘unfair’ election

Military-aligned party seeks fresh vote

Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party has already declared a landslide victory based on its own tallies from across the country.

Myanmar’s military-aligned Opposition party on Wednesday rejected the results of this week’s election as “unfair” and called for a fresh vote — a demand immediately rebuffed by the election authorities.

Official results are still trickling in, but Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party has already declared a landslide victory based on its own tallies from across the country.

The polls are only the second since the country emerged from outright junta rule in 2011. Observers said voting went smoothly on Sunday but criticised the lack of transparency, widespread disenfranchisement and coronavirus restrictions they said benefited Ms. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).

The Opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) went further, however. “We reject the election because it was unfair,” spokesperson Win Win Aung said, alleging that many ineligible people had cast ballots. “We call on the election commission to hold a new, disciplined election in cooperation with the military as soon as possible.”

‘We had no bias’

At a press conference held in the capital, Naypyidaw, the Union Election Commission (UEC) said the election was transparent.

“We had no bias ... it was conducted fairly, within the law,” UEC spokesman Myint Naing said.