Over 6 million eligible voters across Myanmar went to polls on April 1 for the country’s parliamentary by-elections at 8,000 pollstations in 45 constituencies.
As many 157 candidates,representing 17 political parties, are standing for the by-elections for45 vacant seats in the parliament, including 37 at the lower house, sixat the upper house and two for the regional or state level.
Inefforts to implement its commitment to fair, free and transparentelections, the Myanmar Government invited international observers tomonitor the process.
Those from the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners, the US,Canada, the European Union and the United Nations have arrived towatch the event. The by-elections are significant as they willreflect the people’s assessment of and confidence in the parties. Theevent is considered as an “examination” of Myanmar’s democraticreform and open door policy.
A Vietnamese mission, including twodiplomats and three reporters, was present at some poll stations in sixconstituencies in Yangon.
Tran Phuoc Anh, Counsellor and DeputyHead of the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar, said the Myanmar Governmenthave made careful and cautious preparations for its reform and renewalprocess by a seven-step democratic roadmap from compiling constitution,holding a referendum for the constitution to establishing the newparliament and government.
Vote counting is scheduled to takeplace right after 6pm (local time) on the same day and a preliminaryresult is expected to be released at the end of the same day or on April2./.
