An Upper House MP for the National League for Democracy (NLD) has filed a case with police after a party signboard was destroyed in a village in his Naypyitaw constituency.
“The board was cut out with a sharp knife. We’re going to take legal action,” said the MP, who is defending his Zeyathiri township seat.
The board, which features an image of party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was destroyed Friday morning after being erected on Tuesday in Kyopin village at the official start of campaigning.
Maung Maung Swe said two locals named Kyi Lwin and Maung San Myint tried to stop the board going up by arguing it would cause conflict between USDP and NLD supporters in the village.
“I found out it had been destroyed when I woke up in the morning. To be honest, something like this has never happened in our village,” said Zaw Win, whose house is right next to the sign.
USDP spokesperson Nan Myamya Mimi Zaw said: “We condemn such lawless actions regardless of who or which party does it,” she said.
Moe Zaw, from the Union Election Commission, said the incident was a “police matter”.
The Election Law punishes anyone who threatens or damages a candidate’s right to campaign with up to one year in prison.
Another NLD candidate, former health ministry director general Dr Moe Swe, will compete for a separate seat in Zeyathiri against USDP chair Than Htay.
Zeyathiri township is home to many military families and is one of the few areas of the country where the USDP won seats in 2015.
