Myanmar to Hold Landmark Vote as Planned on Nov 8 – State TV

Reuters, 13/10 16:59 CET

By Timothy Mclaughlin and Hnin Yadana Zaw

YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar’s general election will go ahead as scheduled on Nov. 8, according to an announcement on state-run television on Tuesday night.

Earlier, the country’s main political parties and election commission had discussed postponing the ballot less than a month before it was due be held, owing to disruptions to preparations caused by widespread flooding.

“After taking into consideration the discussions of the Central Mediation Committee about the possible consequences of postponing the general election, the Union Election Commission decided not to postpone the general election but to hold it on November 8 as scheduled originally,” said the announcement read out on state-run MRTV.

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) is expected to do well in the vote, a milestone in the country’s transition from a military dictatorship to democracy.

The election commission invited 10 parties to the capital Naypyitaw on Tuesday morning and asked them whether they wanted to postpone the election because of the floods, a government official and two politicians who attended the meeting said. 

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Source: Euronews