Myanmar election: Incumbent Aung San Suu Kyi projected to win despite Rohingya crisis

Myanmar is going to hold its second openly contested election this Sunday, where the ruling National League for Democracy of Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is projected to win. The country, which transitioned into a democracy system just five years ago, presently has nearly 37 million eligible voters who can cast their votes on November 8. According to the Associated Press, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected with landslide majority is predicted to win again, despite critics arguing that her administration has failed to embrace democratic principles. 

Read: UN Expert Airs Human Rights Concerns Ahead Of Myanmar Vote

The Election Commission of the country has been accused of favouring Suu Kyi as it has reportedly cancelled votes in some seats where the opposition candidates were projected to win. And some seats are already reserved for the military, which gives Suu Kyi a real chance of victory. However, the Election Commission insists that the voting was cancelled because of the armed conflict in the area with local guerrilla groups. 

Read: Myanmar Leader Suu Kyi Casts Her Vote In November Elections

Myanmar, which saw an intensive military rule for five decades, has some seats reserved for the members of the Army, which also gets a large chunk when the cabinet is formed. The military oversaw the constitution's drafting in 2008 and assured that it continues to play a vital role in the power formation of the country. 

Read: Myanmar Polls Body Defends Canceled Voting In Insecure Areas

'Real democracy yet to arrive'

Khin Zaw Win, director of the Tampadipa Institute, a Yangon-based policy advocacy group has said that real democracy in Myanmar is yet to arrive. Zaw Win accused Nobel laureate Suu Kyi of bringing one-party democracy to Myanmar and said that his country would not be able to hold free and fair elections until voting rights are given to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, race, and religion, as in the case of Rohingyas, a minority Muslim community that has been denied the right to vote in the Buddhist majority nation. 

It was under Suu Kyi's watch that over 8,00,000 Rohingya had to flee their country to neighbouring Bangladesh between 2017 to 2018 after the military started persecuting them in Rakhine state. Many of them are still living in refugee camps in Bangladesh in inhumane conditions. 

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(With inputs from AP)