November 16, 2019
The Union Election Commission is implementing the National Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to ensure the 2020 General Elections are a success, and it is coordinating with the Ministry of Information and the Myanmar Press Council to provide media easy access to information, and prevent hate speech and fake news, which can hinder the electoral process.
The nationwide electoral list has been compiled.
As the 2020 General Elections are drawing near, all stakeholders, including the media, need to avoid taking sides, reporting false news, and spreading hate speech as they can have undesired effects on elections.
The media should follow media ethics and the election guide designed by the Myanmar Press Council. And, political parties are also obliged to conduct election campaigns in accordance with the set rules and regulations and follow the Code of Conduct written by all political parties and Hluttaw representatives.
To make the elections a success, to build trust among those participating in the electoral process, and to make the elections free and fair, abiding by the Code of Conduct is sine qua non for political parties and candidates.
We have seen how after the political parties agreed on the CoC during the 2015 general elections, electoral conflicts and disputes were reduced and problems were resolved successfully through negotiations.
However, experiences in the previous elections have prompted an amendment to the CoC to meet with the current situation. All stakeholders are responsible to make the CoC better and draw ethics and policies which can be followed.
The UEC is committed to holding the 2020 general elections in accordance with five standards: freedom of choice, fairness, transparency, accessibility, and compatibility of public desire. The election results, the performance of the commission, and news of public interest will be posted and broadcast on state-run newspapers, TV, and the UEC website occasionally.
Holding a free and fair election is a matter of dignity for the country and the people.
A recent joint statement by 20 political parties carrying false and groundless accusations about the UEC can damage trust among the stakeholders, including political parties and voters, and tarnish the dignity of the UEC.
At the time of their establishment, political parties have agreed to abide by sub-paragraphs (c) and (d) under Chapter 2 of the Political Parties Registration Law, which urges them to respect and obey the Constitution of the Union of Myanmar and to abstain from writing which can affect the dignity and morals of others.
We would like to remind parties that breaching Section 6 of the Political Parties Registration Law would warrant their dissolution.
GNLM
