In Burma, the National League for Democracy (LND) – the political party of Aung San Suu Kyi – is threatened with dissolution by the leaders of the military junta, who carried out the putsch and arrested the former civilian leader of the country almost four months ago. Charges of fraud in the last legislative elections are raised. The investigation into the results of the November 2020 elections is almost complete, the chairman of the Union of Burma Election Commission, Thein Soe, added on Friday.
“What are we going to do with the party that (acted) illegally, should we dissolve the party or indict those who committed (these illegal actions) as traitors to the nation?” We will reflect and consider taking this action, ”he said in a video posted on the Facebook account of a local media outlet.
The electoral commission met with political parties on Friday to discuss possible changes to the electoral system, but the NLD was not represented at the meeting. The head of the junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, justified the coup by citing allegations of fraud in the November legislative elections, which were won overwhelmingly by the NLD. Local media reported on Thursday that the junta lifted the retirement age limit for generals, which would allow General Min Aung Hlaing to remain in office even after he turned 65 in July.
Bloody crackdown left hundreds dead
Burma is in chaos and its economy has been paralyzed since the putsch. The crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and dissidents has left more than 800 dead. At the same time, tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by clashes between the army and ethnic militias, which are numerous in the country.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, has not been seen in public since his arrest in the coup. Under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw, she is expected to appear in person for the first time on Monday. The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been indicted six times since her arrest. She was only able to meet her lawyers during brief videoconference sessions under close surveillance by the security forces.
She is being prosecuted in particular for non-compliance with restrictions linked to the pandemic, illegal importation of walkie-talkies, incitement to public disturbances and violation of a law on state secrets dating from the colonial era. She is also accused of collecting several hundred thousand dollars and eleven kilograms of gold in bribes, but has not been charged with corruption. If found guilty, she could be banned from politics, even sentenced to long years in prison.
The LND had obtained an absolute majority in the legislative elections of November, criticized for a lack of transparency, but the results of which were “generally speaking, representative of the will of the people of Burma”, according to the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel ). A group of deposed deputies, mostly members of the NLD, formed after the coup a “government of national unity” which the junta placed in early May on the list of “terrorist organizations”.
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