Not Free, Not Fair, Not Inclusive
Youtube video explaining elections:
Burma’s 2008 Constitution:
- The military is above the law & military coups are legalized
- Federalism is denied. The military has control over ethnic states.
- The military occupies 25% of the seats in Parliament.
- The military controls 3 key Ministries :
- defence (control over their budget and military justice)
- home affairs (domestic repression)
- border affairs (cross-border trade, access to illicit rackets such as drugs, logging and smuggling, and license to conduct ongoing offensives against ethnic minorities)
- The military has effective veto power over constitutional amendments
- The National Defence and Security Council further entrenches the military
- Basic human rights are still threatened
- Political activists are barred from office
- The Presidency favours the military
- Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from Presidency even if she is freed (under a clause denying spouses or children as foreign citizens).
2010 Election Laws
- Excludes Buddhist monks, nuns and members of other religious orders.
- Forbids those associated with armed opposition ethnic groups from taking part in elections. (Junta has been threatening ethnic ceasefire groups).
- Excludes those convicted of a crime and serving a sentence from being a member of a political party (Aung San Suu Kyi and many other political prisoners would have to be expelled from their NLD party for it to be allowed to stand)
