Burmese by-elections, 2014

Burmese (Myanmar) by-election, 2014
Burma
November/December 2014
13 seats to the House of Representatives,
6 seats to the House of Nationalities,
11 seats to the State and Region Hluttaws
 
Leader Thein Sein Aung San Suu Kyi
Party USDP NLD
Leader since 2 June 2010 27 September 1988
Leader's seat Did not contest Kawhmu (Reps)
Last election 259 (Reps) 78.48%
129 (Nats) 76.79%		 Boycotted
Current seats 212 (Reps)
124 (Nats)		 37 (Reps)
4 (Nats)
Incumbent President

Thein Sein
USDP
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The 2014 Burmese (Myanmar) by-elections were scheduled to be held in November or December 2014. The elections had been intended to fill 30 vacant parliamentary seats.[1][2][3][4]

On 7 September 2014, Union Election Commission cancelled the by-election because the period for campaigning would take place too close to that of the general elections in 2015 and because the results would therefore not have had any political significance.[5][6]

Background

The by-elections were intended to elect members for six seats in the House of Nationalities, 13 in the House of Representatives, and 11 in state and regional legislatures.[1] The seat vacancies were primarily the result of their former holders’ moves to ministerial posts or departmental positions within government, but also included some other constituencies’ representatives who have died.[1]

This by-elections were expected to indicate the relative strengths of the contending parties, including President Thein Sein’s Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party led by Aung San Suu Kyi.[2]

Political parties

Both USDP and NLD officials had confirmed they would contest the by-elections.[2] A number of ethnic-based parties had also been expected to contest the by-election.[2]

Cancellation

The Union Election Commission has called off the by-elections on 7 September 2014. The Election Commission Chairman Tin Aye said that the election would be cancelled because the commission did not have enough time to prepare and because the results would not have any political significance.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Official Confirms Burma By-Elections Due This Year". Irrawaddy.org. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Myanmar to Hold By-Elections at End of Year". Rfa.org. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  3. ↑ "General Election will be Nov- Dec 2015, says EC chairman | DVB Multimedia Group". Dvb.no. 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  4. ↑ "Burma plans by-elections for 28 seats this year". Asian Correspondent. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Aung Hla Tun (7 September 2014). "Myanmar cancels by-elections". The Reuters. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "By-elections cancelled". DVB News. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.