Ahead of by-elections, commission offices to open locally

21 April 2014: The Election Commission of Chin State is to open offices in townships and districts ahead of the forthcoming by-elections and the 2015 General Elections.

In a meeting held at the State General Administration Office in Hakha early this month, the commission decided that office branches would be established in nine townships and three districts across Burma’s western state.

They also agreed that new staff would be recruited for running the township and district offices, and that a series of workshops relating to elecation laws and roles of the Election Commission would be conducted in each township.

Lin Kyaw, of the Chin State Election Commission, told the Hakha Post that the meeting was held in preparation for the upcoming elections, adding: “These preparations are made so that the elections can be held smoothly and successfully. And we also want the public to understand properly laws related.”

The meeting also decided on the need for translating laws concerning the elections into different Chin dialects which are to be chosen and put forward by the State Education Department.

The State Election Commission is made up of 15 members comprising six civilians and nine government officials from the Chin State government.

Burma plans to hold by-elections to fill 30 seats in parliament and state legislatures in November or December this year, and the nationwide General Election is scheduled to take place at the end of 2015, according to Tin Aye, Chairman of the Union Election Commission.

Only one parliamentary seat is up for grabs in Chin State for the upcoming by-elections. Ngun Mawng, the Lower House representative from Hakha constituency vacated his position following his appointment to the Union Civil Service Commission in late 2012.

According to the 2008 Burmese constitution, any elected representative appointed to the executive branch must resign his or her parliamentary seat.#