White tigers winning seats amid heavy advance voting

Sai Ai Pao (photo: SNDP)

The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), popularly known as the White Tiger for its logo, is winning more than 50 out of 156 seats it has been contesting despite heavy and largely forced advance voting drive launched by junta authorities, according to party leader Sai Ai Pao.

Sai Ai Pao himself was elected in Hsenwi township, where the Burma Army’s Military Operations Command #16 is based, where he won a seat for the state house.

“His friends though he was going against a stacked deck,” said one of the members. “Now all of us are happy.”

According to monitoring by SHAN, the SNDP has so far (09:00 local time) won 1 seat in the National Assembly (Amyothu Hluttaw), 10 seats in the People’s Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) and 18 seats in the State Assembly (Pyi-ne Hluttaw) in 13 townships. It lost all the 3 seats to junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Mabein (known as Manpiang in Shan) township, Kyaukme district.

There are 55 townships in Shan State. 4 townships under the United Wa State Army control were banned, leaving only 51 townships where elections were held. The 13 townships monitored by SHNA are Kyaukme, Nawngkhio, Hsipaw, Namtu, Mongmit, Manpiang, Mongkeung, Laikha, Mongyawng, Muse, Hsenwi, Langkher and Kunhing.

The National Unity Party (NUP) is also doing better than in 1990, where it won only 1 seat statewide and 10 seats countrywide, by getting 3 seats in Shan State so far.

Among those that voted for the SNDP included Kachins, Palaungs, Kokangs, Pa Os, Lahus and even Burmese. One Burma Army unit, Light Infantry Battalion 507, based in Lashio, had reportedly voted for the SNDP at an advance voting. “It was ordered to redo the exercise,” said an army source.

Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3294:white-tigers-winning-seats-amid-heavy-advance-voting&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266