The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is canvassing for votes and passing out “incentives” in townships and villages in Northern Shan State, local sources said on Wednesday.Prime Minister Thein Sein
“The USDP members are canvassing in the villages in Namhsang Township. They choose organizers in each village and ask them to tell people to vote for the USDP,” a source in Namhsang told The Irrawaddy.
Khun Pont, a senior USDP member in Namhsang, and other members reportedly have been canvassing in the townships and villages in the area since April, sources said.
Similarly, USDP members are canvassing villagers in the Nanhkan Township area, according to a villager in Mansat in Nanhkan Township, who asked to remain anonymous.
“The authorities brought USDP application forms to us last week. They came yesterday and collected the forms and took photographs of us,” said the source.
“It's not possible to canvass everybody with money,” said a source in Mansak village. “We don't know where the USDP gets its money from.”
“They gave incentives to canvass organizers in the villages, and said that the USDP will back them up with a computer, mobile phones and transportation fees if they bring people to the polling stations who will vote for the USDP,” he said.
One villager said that the USDP membership card was being used as an incentive. “If we become USDP members, they say we will be given money, and those who don't have a national identification card can easily travel across the country,” said one source.
The source said it was unclear if the USDP would give out incentives before the election or after.
Canvassing for votes by using local village authorities is illegal, according to Aung Thein, a prominent lawyer in Rangoon.
“Using the power of village authorities means that the USDP is violating the election laws,” said Aung Thein. “But, as they [the USDP] are acting like an elected party, nobody dares complain about their activities.”
In Yanangyaung Township in Magway Division, a USDP membership fee is 1, 000 kyat (US $1) and 500 kyat for a photograph, according to a source in Yanangyaung.
The USDP was founded by key junta leaders who are also members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), which was created by the government in 1993 as a civic and social organization.
On April 29, Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein and 26 military leaders registered the USDP as a political party. Observers say the government ministers have violated the election laws because they failed to resign their administrative posts in the government.
Article 4 of Political Party Registration Law bars a government official from forming a political party.
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