Fear & Voting in Burma/Myanmar: 2015 Election

On 8 November, up to 32 million Burmese voters will elect representatives to fill 1,171 seats in the National and State/ Division Parliaments. Ninety one political parties will compete for 75% of seats in the legislature, while 25% remain reserved for the Tatmadaw. Despite official promises of a “free and fair” election, multiple flaws continue to undermine the credibility of the process.

This briefer summarizes obstacles to "free and fair" elections, including; widespread voter lists errors; disenfranchisement of Rohingya, overseas migrants and people in conflict areas; candidate disqualifications; Election Commission (EC) media restrictions; the extremist Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion (Ma Ba Tha)'s anti-Muslim rhetoric; and increased police surveillance.