Domestic election observers urge all parties to accept result of vote

A dozen domestic election observer groups released a joint statement on Friday calling on the military and all political parties to accept the results of last year’s election.

The statement comes amid fears of a possible coup over the military’s objections to the election, which the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide.

“We urge all other political parties and the Tatmadaw to respect the election result and to collaborate with different stakeholders to ensure post-election stability and a peaceful power transition,” the statement reads.

“We, the domestic election observer groups, are also willing to work with all political parties for electoral reform in the future,” it continues, acknowledging flaws in the electoral process.

Noting that they had “found some inconsistencies in election administration and weaknesses in implementation during the Covid-19 pandemic situation,” the observers also expressed confidence in the outcome.

“The results of the elections were credible and reflected the will of the majority of voters,” they concluded.

The military has claimed that its own review of voter lists revealed millions of errors that point to the possibility of vote-rigging.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) has responded to these charges by stating that it conducted the election in accordance with the law. Any effort to alter the outcome would “contradict the wishes of the public that voted,” it added.

Internal observers have also weighed in on the increasingly tense situation. 

On Friday, embassies and diplomatic missions in Yangon representing 16 Western countries urged the military “to adhere to democratic norms” amid concerns over the threat of a coup.

In a joint statement, they added: “We look forward to the peaceful convening of the Parliament on February 1 and the election of the President and speakers.”

A spokesperson for the US State Department also urged the military and all political parties in Myanmar to respect the outcome of the vote and avoid jeopardizing the country’s democratic transition, according to a report by VOA. 

On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a statement saying that he was following recent developments in Myanmar “with great concern”.

He urged all actors to desist from any form of incitement or provocation, demonstrate leadership, and respect the results of the November 8 election.