An election official in Mandalay has confirmed that military personnel will be allowed to provide support at polling stations during this Sunday’s election, but only if they wear civilian clothes.
“They can hand out refreshments outside the polling stations, but they can’t wear their uniforms or anything associated with any party,” Shein Win, the chair of the Mandalay region election commission, told Myanmar Now.
The decision to allow a military presence at polling stations came in response to a proposal from Col. Kyaw Kyaw Min, the minister for security and border affairs, he added.
According to Shein Win, armed military personnel in full uniform will also be present at 20 polling stations in the region to provide security.
“There are 10 villages close to the TNLA in Mogok and Pyin Oo Lwin where the military will provide security,” he said, referring to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
Reports of plans to expand the military’s role during the election first emerged after Tatmadaw Commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing told regional commanders during a teleconference on Thursday that the army could offer non-military support.
“Voters will be standing in line following social-distancing rules, and we don’t know how long they will have to wait. That’s why the military needs to provide them with water and snacks,” he said.
The commander-in-chief also said that military families should back candidates who support the Tatmadaw’s “Three Main National Causes”—non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, and the perpetuation of sovereignty.
Htein Lin Oo, the secretary of the Tanintharyi region election commission, confirmed on Saturday that a meeting of the election security management committee, led by the security and border affairs minister, took place earlier in the day.
“We have to object to any activities near the polling stations. It will be disruptive to voters,” said NLD spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt
However, when asked if the military had proposed to provide assistance at polling stations in Tanintharyi, he said that there was no such plan in place.
In Kachin state, election officials said that the military would be present at polling stations, but only in a limited capacity.
“They have their own plans that they drew up. We already have security at the polling stations. Providing meals and whatever, that’s outside the polling stations. They’re not coming inside,” Kachin state election commission chair Mary Mi Nan told Myanmar Now.
Tun Aung Khaing, the secretary of the state’s election commission, also emphasised that military personnel would be kept at a distance from the actual polling.
“Security on the premises will be handled by the police force and the security team set up by the administration. There will be security away from these areas, too, but they will stay where they’re supposed to. They can’t come near the polling stations,” he said.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) said that its township party offices would oppose the plan on the grounds that it violates the government’s Covid-19 prevention guidelines.
“We have to object to any activities near the polling stations. It will be disruptive to voters. Also, they don’t have any specific exemption from Covid-19 regulations,” said NLD spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt.
Ye Naing Aung, the general secretary of the People’s Party, said he didn’t know why the military wanted to send its personnel to polling stations, but he guessed that it was only in order to facilitate the election.
“They’ll be in civilian clothes, but it will still be possible to see that it is the military handing out these refreshments. We could say it’s a way to upgrade their image. But it doesn’t look like anything that goes against the people or democracy,” he said.
Officials from the Tatmadaw True News Information Team and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) declined to comment on the issue.
According to the Union Election Commission, there are about 43,000 polling stations nationwide.
