Burma heads to the polls: “I can finally vote for democracy”

A Burmese election observer reading his handbook in preparation for Sunday's by-election.

On Sunday, voters in parts of Burma will head to the polls to take part in an election already labelled as historic. Though only a by-election, the vote marks the return of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy, long banned from the polls. An Observer in Rangoon, Burma's largest city, tells us why he thinks this election marks the first real step towards democracy.

After Suu Kyi’s party won an overwhelming victory in the 1990 elections, the daughter of General Aung San, Burma's revered independence hero, was placed under house arrest, where she remained for most of the following 22 years. During the last elections, on 7 November 2010, some opposition parties were allowed to run, but not hers. The army’s political allies secured a landslide win in a deeply flawed election.

But Suu Kyi was released just days later and is now vying for a seat in parliament, along with other candidates from her party. There are a total of 45 seats up for grabs in Burma’s 664-seat parliament.

Since taking office a year ago, Burma’s President Thein Sein, a former general, has made a number of sweeping reforms, such as releasing hundreds of political prisoners and easing censorship laws. This election is widely seen as a test of whether his government is sincere in welcoming Suu Kyi’s party back into politics.

Unlike in 2010, Burma has invited foreign observers to monitor the election. Suu Kyi has complained that the election cannot be considered free and fair because there have been “many, many cases of intimidation” as well as vandalism of NLD posters. However, she added that the NLD was determined to go forward “because this is what our people want.”

Aung San Suu Kyi campaigning in the southern city of Myeik on March 24. Video posted to YouTube by alight4all.

“This election won’t change much in the short term … but it’s like planting a seed”

Htoo Tay Zar is a photographer and designer. He lives in Rangoon, the former Burmese capital also known as Yangon.

I get to go vote on Sunday because there’s a vacancy seat for parliament in my township. There’s someone running in my township who I feel I can trust with my vote. I prefer not to say who, but this person wants democracy and has struggled to achieve democracy in the past. I voted during the 2010 election, but I wasn’t sure about who to vote for back then – I couldn’t tell if any of the candidates really wanted democracy or not.

I think most people are much more excited about this election than the one in 2010 because Aung San Suu Kyi’s party is participating this time. I’m not a member of any party, but I have been to one of Aung San Suu Kyi’s rallies. It was very exciting. People lined up on the side of the road to catch a glimpse of her arriving – villagers, monks, children and even old people who had trouble walking. They were all shouting, “Long Live Mother Suu!” It was heart-melting to see all these people who, like me, have been waiting so long for democracy.

“We still have a long way to go”

I believe Suu Kyi when she says these won’t be completely free and fair elections. Our country is still only edging towards democracy, and there are still some conservative people who will do all they can to prevent change. And of course, this by-election won’t change that much in the short term because it only concerns a small number of seats in parliament. That means that even if the opposition wins all these seats, the military-backed USDP party will still control parliament.

We still have a long way to go. Letting the opposition run doesn’t mean things have changed. Being able to live in complete freedom and peace – now that would be change! However, I think it’s the first step. It’s like planting a seed in the soil; I hope to see a fully grown plant some day.

Hopefully, the opposition candidates who are elected will develop good relationships with representatives of other parties within parliament. I believe they can build up trust and move towards democracy together.

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