YANGON — Myanmar’s Supreme Court in Naypyitaw on Friday heard claims from two military-linked political parties which asked the highest court to issue writs against President U Win Myint, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman, alleging they broke the law during the November general election.
Followed their humiliating election defeats to the National League for Democracy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP) alleged the election was “unfair” and “marred by mass fraud”, with the military making similar claims.
The USDP central executive committee (CEC), a former military advocate general and DNP chairman U Soe Maung and his party’s spokesman filed the applications of writs, naming U Win Myint, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, UEC chairman U Hla Thein and 14 other election officials as defendants.
USDP CEC member U Hla Thein refused to give details of the accusations in the application.
“I can’t give the details now as the facts are confidential,” he said, adding that the claims would be provided if the court accepted the application.
The Supreme Court has 14 days to decide whether to accept the applications, he said.
Supporters of the USDP gathered near the Supreme Court on Friday.
U Soe Maung and his party’s spokesman were not available for comment on Friday.
Earlier this month, the ex-general told a joint press conference with the USDP in Yangon that “the election is not over” while announcing his party’s applications of writs.
He added that the evidence was based on the discovery of numerous voter-list irregularities by the military. A military probe alleged voter-list irregularities that could have led to vote-rigging.
Legal observer U Khin Maung Myint said the losing parties’ attempts will probably fail as the 2008 Constitution grants the UEC the final decision over the electoral process and no legal action can overrule the body.
He added that the Supreme Court cannot issue writs to the institution which holds the highest authority over an election under the Constitution.
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