By Oliver Slow
YANGON
Myanmar’s Union Election Commission has tentatively set a date for the 2015 general election, announcing that it will take place in the last week of October or the first week of November.
The announcement was made by Election Commission chairman, Tin Aye, although no specific date has yet been set.
Delivering his New Year message last week, President Thein Sein reiterated that the election would be free and fair, adding that it will “serve as one of the most critical steps in our democratic transition process.”
However, National League for Democracy (NLD) member U Myo Yan Naung Thein expressed doubt to The Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that all parties would compete on equal terms.
"At the moment, we cannot say that the election will be free and fair. Currently, a lot of the laws related to the elections are not fair across all levels, so at the moment I am not confident [that they will be fair]."
The leading opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), spent much of last year campaigning to change clauses in the country’s 2008 constitution in time for the election.
The charter -- drawn up under the previous military regime -- has a number of controversial elements, most notably clauses 59 (f) and 436. The former bars anyone with family members “owing allegiance to a foreign power” from becoming president, and the latter effectively gives the military a veto over any changes to the charter.
In November, it was announced that there would be no change to clause 59 (f), which many see as being included purely to prevent the most popular opposition figure, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, standing for president.
House speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has said that a referendum on any changes will be held in May, but admitted that it is unlikely they will be implemented prior to the election taking place.
Suu Kyi recently said that it was too early for her party to commit to taking part in the elections.
“When they officially announce the exact date for the general election, we will tell you whether we will join or not,” she said at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Yangon.
She added that the Myanmar public would have to work together to ensure that the election is free and fair.
Myanmar last held a general election in 2010, but it was boycotted by the NLD because it was generally regarded as not transparent.
In April 2012, a first by-election was held in which 43 of the 45 parliamentary seats were won by the NLD.
