Junta announces list of provisions for state-media canvassing

Rangoon (Mizzima) – The Burmese junta’s electoral watchdog issued notices yesterday dissolving 10 political parties including the main opposition National League for Democracy and giving the remaining 37 parties the right to canvass on state-run radio and television.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) said in state-run media that five parties that contested in the 1990 general election and five others established this year to stand for national elections on November 7 had been dissolved.

The first five were the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party, the Wa National Development Party and the Union Pa-O National Organisation. –dissolved because they had not applied for re-registration with the UEC to stand for this year’s polls.

The other parties dissolved for not fielding the minimum requirement of three candidates were the Union Karen National League, the Myanmar Democratic Party for a New Society, the Myanmar Democracy Congress, Mro National Party, Regional Development Party (Pyay).

On the same day, the UEC issued a notice that granted “legal” parties the right to canvass on state-run radio and television, with 15 minutes allotted for each canvassing speech by their chairmen or secretaries until October 25. The parties however were told they needed to submit a draft copy of their speeches to the authorities for permission. The maximum limit of the draft speech is seven pages of A4 paper, the notice says.

However, many other restrictions were included in the notice with vaguely-worded offences such as “committing disaffection to the state and government”, of the kind that have frequently been used to frame opposition members and led to their imprisonment. Besides these restrictions, the draft copy of their speeches must be passed by the state censor board.

The restrictions on canvassing speeches on state-run media:

1. Not to give any talks that can harm non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty.
2. Not to give any talks that can harm security, the rule of law and community peace.
3. Not to disobey the Constitution (2008) of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) and existing laws.
4. Not to stimulate sedition or give any talks that can tarnish the image of the state.
5. Not to give any talks that can lead to the collapse of the Tatmadaw (armed forces) or tarnish the image of the Tatmadaw.
6. Not to give any talks or undertake organising measures that can lead to conflicts or harm dignity or moral conduct in connection with racism or religion or affairs of an individual or community.
7. Not to abuse religion for political ends.
8. Not to give any talks that can harm peaceful pursuit of education.
9. Not to give any talks that can discourage service personnel from performing their duties or to abet them to stage protests against the government.

Source: http://www.mizzima.com/news/election-2010-/4363-junta-announces-list-of-provisions-for-state-media-canvassing.html