Yangon — The National League for Democracy (NLD) has filed complaints against 17 candidates, of whom 14 are from the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), that won in the Nov. 8 general election, according to the party’s vice-chair Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.
The party will provide legal support to its candidates who face charges, he said.
“We have filed complaints about electoral fraud. We only complained in constituencies where we think we can win. And we only complained about fraud we think should not have happened,” he told reporters after the meeting of the party’s central executive committee in Naypyitaw on Tuesday.
The party has filed a complaint with the Union Election Commission (UEC) against USDP chairman U Than Htay, who won a Lower House seat representing Zayarthiri Township in Naypyitaw, for alleged racist comments.
It also filed complaints about irregularities in Karen State’s Hpa-an Township, Rakhine State’s Ann Township and several constituencies in Shan State where USDP candidates secured victories. It also filed complaints in Khaunglanhpu Township in Kachin State, where a Lisu National Development Party candidate won, Chaungzon in Mon State, where a Mon Unity Party candidate won, and the Lahu ethnic affairs ministerial post in Shan State, which was secured by the Lahu National Development Party.
Meanwhile, various NLD candidates have also filed complaints with the police about alleged electoral disputes and irregularities in the election.
The USDP has filed nearly 200 complaints with the UEC, mostly against the NLD, according to USDP spokeswoman Daw Yin Min Myint Swe.
The NLD said its candidates will be able to handle the USDP’s complaints.
“When we were the opposition and no lawyer was acting for us, the NLD legal support team handled the complaints. So we decided the team can deal with these cases. It is not about the interests of individual candidates but the interests of the NLD as the whole,” said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.
The NLD won 920 — or 82 percent — of the 1,117 contested seats in the election and the USDP secured 71 seats.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
