Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Much has been made in recent months of the junta aiming to get as any close associates as possible elected to Burma’s legislature in the upcoming November polls. Zaykabar boss Khin Shwe is one such associate of the junta’s to stand for election.
A native of Mon State, he will nonetheless contest the election as a member of the junta-supported Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in a bid to win the ninth constituency in the Rangoon Region National Hluttaw (Upper House), which covers the townships of Twante, Kawhmu and Kungyangon.
Mizzma reporter Ko Wild spoke with Khin Shwe on his thoughts regarding the country’s first general election in two decades.
Q: Which party will by your main rival in this election?
A: The National Unity Party (NUP), Karen National League and Peace and Democracy Party. The NUP candidate is a retired school teacher from Wabalauthauk village west of Htanmanaing village. However, no one [of the contenders] is well known in all the three townships.
Q: We heard you will spend one billion kyat (US$1.02 million) on your electoral campaign. Is this true?
A: The electoral law permits a maximum of 10 million kyat to be spent on these three townships. I spent these expenses long ago. These days, journalists are too young, so I worry about them misquoting me and reporting about me carelessly. How can I spend one billion kyat within these two months? I don’t need extra organisational work here as I have worked for them, since Cyclone Nargis hit this area, in rebuilding damaged pagodas and many other works.
Q: Does the USDP need to spend money to attract party members?
A: No. I have told people you don’t need to give to me. You need only give for yourselves. The person they vote for should be a capable parliamentarian, otherwise there will be no development and everything will be unchanged. If they care for me, I must care for them. It’s no problem for me. I have already spent a lot on them. I need only to appear before them.
Q: Have you provided agricultural loans and built storm shelters for people?
A: No, I didn’t do these things. I donated only towards damaged pagodas. I’m not a contractor, but I did build school buildings as a donation. I have not been in the contracting business for such a long time. First, I worked for a relief operation in [hard-hit] Laputta Township and then rebuilt damaged pagodas in Twante, Kungyangon and Pyapon.
Q: What impact do you think your charity work will have on your candidacy?
A: I had to stop all social work. I can do this work again … only after this election. There is a lot more work to do in these villages, such as establishing football clubs for fans and providing electricity. If I donate for these things for them now, I will be disqualified as a candidate since I will have overspent the maximum on campaign expenses. I would be in trouble if someone lodged a complaint, so I must stop my continuing projects of rebuilding pagodas since it would infringe upon the electoral law.
Q: What will do for your constituency if you are elected?
A: I shall do what they need wherever I can. This is politics. If they need paddy cultivation, I will work for it. If they need a bridge, I will build a bridge for them. If they want roads, I’ll give roads to them. There is no summer rice cultivation here. So, I shall give them the water needed to grow rice in summer.
For instance, there is bamboo here. I will make bamboo a value-added product. I like very much [fugitive] former Thai prime minister Thaksin’s [Shinawatra, who has been convicted in absentia of corruption and abuse of office] [failed] policy of ‘one village, one product’. I can’t do the work for the entire country, but I can work for the area assigned to me. Some want electricity … I can buy a transformer from my own pocket and install it for them in their area. I have already asked for permission to do this, but can’t yet implement the project.
(Note: The USDP candidates for the Rangoon Region National Hluttaw (Upper House) are Khin Shwe, Tin Kha, Myat Thu, Dr. Aung Tin, Thaung Htike, U Pu, Dr. Myint Kyi, Win Naung, Dr. Myo Thant Tin, Swe Aung, Saw Takapaw and Htun Zan Aung.)
Source:http://mizzima.com/edop/interview/4353-generosity-an-election-tactic-in-rangoon-region-no-9.html
A native of Mon State, he will nonetheless contest the election as a member of the junta-supported Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in a bid to win the ninth constituency in the Rangoon Region National Hluttaw (Upper House), which covers the townships of Twante, Kawhmu and Kungyangon.
Mizzma reporter Ko Wild spoke with Khin Shwe on his thoughts regarding the country’s first general election in two decades.
Q: Which party will by your main rival in this election?
A: The National Unity Party (NUP), Karen National League and Peace and Democracy Party. The NUP candidate is a retired school teacher from Wabalauthauk village west of Htanmanaing village. However, no one [of the contenders] is well known in all the three townships.
Q: We heard you will spend one billion kyat (US$1.02 million) on your electoral campaign. Is this true?
A: The electoral law permits a maximum of 10 million kyat to be spent on these three townships. I spent these expenses long ago. These days, journalists are too young, so I worry about them misquoting me and reporting about me carelessly. How can I spend one billion kyat within these two months? I don’t need extra organisational work here as I have worked for them, since Cyclone Nargis hit this area, in rebuilding damaged pagodas and many other works.
Q: Does the USDP need to spend money to attract party members?
A: No. I have told people you don’t need to give to me. You need only give for yourselves. The person they vote for should be a capable parliamentarian, otherwise there will be no development and everything will be unchanged. If they care for me, I must care for them. It’s no problem for me. I have already spent a lot on them. I need only to appear before them.
Q: Have you provided agricultural loans and built storm shelters for people?
A: No, I didn’t do these things. I donated only towards damaged pagodas. I’m not a contractor, but I did build school buildings as a donation. I have not been in the contracting business for such a long time. First, I worked for a relief operation in [hard-hit] Laputta Township and then rebuilt damaged pagodas in Twante, Kungyangon and Pyapon.
Q: What impact do you think your charity work will have on your candidacy?
A: I had to stop all social work. I can do this work again … only after this election. There is a lot more work to do in these villages, such as establishing football clubs for fans and providing electricity. If I donate for these things for them now, I will be disqualified as a candidate since I will have overspent the maximum on campaign expenses. I would be in trouble if someone lodged a complaint, so I must stop my continuing projects of rebuilding pagodas since it would infringe upon the electoral law.
Q: What will do for your constituency if you are elected?
A: I shall do what they need wherever I can. This is politics. If they need paddy cultivation, I will work for it. If they need a bridge, I will build a bridge for them. If they want roads, I’ll give roads to them. There is no summer rice cultivation here. So, I shall give them the water needed to grow rice in summer.
For instance, there is bamboo here. I will make bamboo a value-added product. I like very much [fugitive] former Thai prime minister Thaksin’s [Shinawatra, who has been convicted in absentia of corruption and abuse of office] [failed] policy of ‘one village, one product’. I can’t do the work for the entire country, but I can work for the area assigned to me. Some want electricity … I can buy a transformer from my own pocket and install it for them in their area. I have already asked for permission to do this, but can’t yet implement the project.
(Note: The USDP candidates for the Rangoon Region National Hluttaw (Upper House) are Khin Shwe, Tin Kha, Myat Thu, Dr. Aung Tin, Thaung Htike, U Pu, Dr. Myint Kyi, Win Naung, Dr. Myo Thant Tin, Swe Aung, Saw Takapaw and Htun Zan Aung.)
Source:http://mizzima.com/edop/interview/4353-generosity-an-election-tactic-in-rangoon-region-no-9.html
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