Election victory day observed

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Burma’s main opposition group, the National League for Democracy, held the 20th anniversary of its 1990 election victory today in a gathering at the residence of party vice-chairman Tin Oo.

About 150 opposition politicians attended the gathering to commemorate their landslide election victory on May 27, 1990, which the junta then refused to recognise.

The opposition party has refused to re-register with the Election Commission (EC) in protest at electoral laws that appeared designed to force it to expel leaders that include Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta presumes the party has been automatically dissolved and void after the re-registration deadline on May 6.

Saplings were planted and the party gave cash donations to assist colleagues who are still political prisoners as part of the commemorations. Previous year’s celebrations were held at party headquarters in Shwegondaing Street which were attended by foreign diplomats, who were conspicuously absent today.

“Today we discussed today what we encountered from 1990 to until today,” Tin Oo told Mizzima. “We just shared our experiences with the younger generation.”

Party members insisted that it was still surviving and would continue its social work and activities.

Under pressure from local authorities, party signboards at some branch offices were removed but members are still going to party headquarters in Rangoon. Despite this, today’s function was held at another location as it was a political function, a party leader, Win Tin, said.

Elsewhere in Burma, a total of more than 20 mango and jackfruit saplings were planted on Mandalay hill today and stationery were donated to about 100 students attending at a monastic school, Mandalay Division NLD organising committee member Myo Han said.

Magwe Division NLD Women affairs chairwoman Khin Saw Htay said that members had also donated stationery, including exercise books, pencils and erasers, to about 100 students in Bay Mei Ward, Yenanchaung Township.

The party today reiterated its demands that the junta fulfil the people’s will for a flourishing, genuine democratic system and provide basic development to the country through dialogue between the junta leader and Aung San Suu Kyi today, NLD central executive committee member Ohn Kyaing said.

The NLD’s social work has included assistance to political prisoners and donations of drinking water in Irrawaddy and Pegu divisions, which has suffered under severe water shortages. It is now planning to dig tube wells in these areas.

The military regime took 14 years to draft the constitution promulgated in 2008 after approval through a constitutional referendum, made controversial as it was conducted in the immediate wake of Cyclone Nargis, as hundreds of thousands of people suffered without basic human necessities. The junta claimed it had a “yes” vote of more than 92 per cent to support the constitutional document.

The NLD’s poll victory in 1990 gave them a convincing parliamentary majority – more than 82 per cent of seats – but the junta refused to transfer power to the winner.

Source:http://mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/3985-election-victory-day-observed.html