We finally got an insight into the voter mindset ahead of Myanmar’s historic upcoming elections scheduled for November 8 as the Asian Barometer Survey released the results of a nationwide poll on Monday.
The Taiwan-based organization partnered with the Yangon School of Political Science to ask 1,620 people across the country’s 14 states and division questions about their views on politics, the economy and society. They do the same poll in 14 East Asian nations but this is the first to be done in Myanmar.
Preliminary data from the survey, conducted between January and March this year, gives a wealth of insight. You can read an extensive analysis on The Irrawaddy’s website.
But here are some bitesize chunks to digest in the meantime.
People don’t want to talk about who they’re voting for
The response rate was actually pretty high – only 13 per cent of attempted interviews were refused – but respondents were shy about some of the more sensitive questions. More than half would not say their preferred presidential candidate and 50 per cent would not say which party they would vote for. That means that the frontrunners indicated are by no means dead certs. A total of 57 per cent would not answer when asked whether the constitution should be amended to allow opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to run for president.
The Lady is favored for head of state
Among those who did answer the question, Aung San Suu Kyi came out as top choice for president – even though she is not allowed to hold the position under current rules banning candidates with foreign families. A total of 26 per cent favored her, while incumbent Thein Sein scored 16 per cent.
And her National League for Democracy party is ahead
Just under a quarter (24 per cent) of those who answered on vote choice listed the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy. The National Unity Party scored 15 per cent while the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party received 7 per cent of the vote.
The economy is considered more important than democracy
While 74 per cent of respondents said they were rooting for democracy, a majority (53 per cent) considered the economic development of Myanmar more important. Nobody wants a return to authoritarian government, though – just 4 per cent chose that option, the lowest figure of any Asian nation surveyed, according to the Myanmar Times. The economy was deemed the biggest problem facing Myanmar, with 45 per cent of the vote, followed by governance (15 per cent), government services (14 per cent) and health (10 per cent).
People are evenly split over the political role of the military
Perhaps surprisingly, 39 per cent of respondents said they were in favor of the military retaining its role in politics while 40 per cent were against.
Photo / Aung Naing Soe / Coconuts Yangon
Sources: Myanmar Times and The Irrawaddy
