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Updated November 16th, 2021 at 19:05 IST

Myanmar's junta-controlled election commission to prosecute Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar state election commission announced it is prosecuting ousted democratic leader of the country, Aung San Suu Kyi along with 15 other political figures.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Suu Kyi
(IMAGE: AP) | Image:self
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Myanmar’s state election commission announced it is prosecuting the ousted democratic leader of the country, Aung San Suu Kyi along with 15 other political figures for an alleged fraud committed in the November 2020 general elections. The announcement was published on Tuesday, 16 November in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper and other official media outlets of the Southeast Asian country. The same allegations were cited by the Myanmar military for its 1 February seizure of power that toppled the democratically-elected government of Suu Kyi. 

Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy party was about to start its second five-year term in office after its momentous win in the polls. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party witnessed unexpectedly heavy losses. Even the Independent observers including the Asian Network for Free elections said that they did not find any substantive irregularities in the polls even though some aspects were criticised. 

Suu Kyi’s party could be dissolved

The latest action announced by the Union Election Commission could potentially lead to the dissolving of Suu Kyi’s party and it could further bar the National League for Democracy party from participating in the new election. Following the coup in February, the junta had pledged to organise a new election within two years of its takeover. But, the junta-controlled Election Commission’s notice which was dated Monday did not specify which laws would be used to prosecute the accused. 

Just in May this year, the Myanmar military-appointed new head of the election commission said that the agency would consider dissolving Suu Kyi’s governing party for alleged involvement in electoral fraud. He also said that the leaders of the National League for Democracy party would be charged with treason. Election Commission Chairman Thein Soe said in an investigation, as per AP, had determined that Suu Kyi’s party had illegally worked with the government to provide itself with an advantage at the polls. 

After taking power, the military dismissed the members of the election commission that had certified the victory of November 2020 polls and replaced the members with new ones. It also detained the members of the old commission. As per media reports in an independent Myanmar media, the old members of the agency were forced to state that there had been election fraud in last year’s polls. 

(IMAGE: AP)

(With AP inputs)
 

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Published November 16th, 2021 at 19:05 IST

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