Military-backed party refuses to accept Myanmar election outcome, demands do-over

On the way to a resounding defeat in Sunday’s election, a military proxy party this afternoon rejected the results and challenged the poll’s legitimacy.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, said it would not accept the results and called for a new election held under military supervision.

“We call on [the election commission] to hold a disciplined election in order to ensure the election is impartial, free and fair,” a party spokesman told reporters at a Wednesday afternoon news conference in Yangon.

The party accused the ruling National League for Democracy, or NLD, of buying votes and voting twice and it has called on the public to report evidence of fraud.

Although the results were not final, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was poised to win by a landslide and picking up more seats than necessary to form the next government. The party said last night that it had won 240 seats in Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house) and 113 in the Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house).

NLD coasting to victory and 2nd term for ASSK as votes counted

Responding in the late afternoon, election commissioner Myint Naing described the allegations as “baseless.”

“The true will of the people has been revealed,” he said at the Union Election Commission office. “As I have said before, there is no need to take into account these baseless charges.”

USDP Chairman Than Htay said yesterday that the party had repeatedly complained about shortcomings in the formation of the election commission, which he said was unfair.

“Even though the voting process is over, there is still controversy over whether the whole process was legal or not. There are still issues that need to be resolved by law. Political parties cannot function alone. Public support and participation are important,” Than Htay told reporters Tuesday in Naypyidaw.

Echoing the post-election uncertainty that’s gripped the United States in recent days, the party did not appear to be taking defeat well. Yesterday, it ordered all its candidates not to sign a routine local elections form confirming the results of their races.

Nonetheless, election monitors from the U.S.-based Carter Center said they found no major irregularities to Sunday’s poll.

Update: This story has been updated with a response from a member of the Union Election Commission.

Related

NLD coasting to victory and 2nd term for ASSK as votes counted