Supporters of the Kayah State Democratic Party (KySDP) and their ally the Kayah National Party (KNP) rallied in the state capital of Loikaw on Monday morning despite the national surge in Covid-19 cases.
Stay-at-home orders in Yangon, Mandalay, Rakhine state and elsewhere have made on-the-ground campaigning for the November 8 poll all but impossible, but Kayah state so far remains unscathed with zero reported cases.
A total of around 20,000 people arrived at the Kayah State Day event field on trucks and motorcycles. Most wore masks, but they were unable to follow social distancing guidelines at the crowded event.
The rally appears to defy guidelines against mass gatherings. Campaign events with more than 50 people are banned nationwide under rules issued by the Union Election Commission on September 7.
The NLD and the USDP stopped holding rallies in mid-September, although they held gatherings that appeared to breach the rules before then.
The KySDP will contest seats in 30 constituencies while the KNP is fighting in the state’s remaining four constituencies.
Thirteen parties are vying for seats in the state and there are 272 candidates, including a small number of independents.
