Rangoon electoral watchdog office allows party posters

Tuesday, 12 October 2010 17:33 Khaing Suu

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Rangoon Division office of Burma’s electoral watchdog last week told political parties they could raise campaign posters in Rangoon, parties said yesterday.

Parties were permitted to erect posters of any size or design that meets the approval of the Rangoon office of the Union Election Commission (UEC), but they had to pay 1,200 kyat (about US$1.20) per square foot (929 square centimetres) for vinyl posters, the parties said, citing an office directive.

Vinyl posters could withstand wet and windy weather and be printed in various sizes, they said.

Despite the apparent new freedom, campaign posters of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) dominated Rangoon, a resident said.

“USDP has promoted the party very heavily. We found its posters at all crossroads in North Okkalapa Township. And the USDP members, who wear party uniform, are going from street to street to canvass for the party. Each group comprises 30 to 50 USDP members,” the resident of ward nine told Mizzima.

Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics would also launch a poster campaign, party spokesman Kyaw Wai Zin said, however, most parties were struggling to marshal the resources for such promotions.

National Democratic Force (NDF) chairman Dr. Than Nyein told Mizzima: “Some party candidates are planning to put up campaign posters. But the [our] party doesn’t have money to pay for them, so the candidates have to front the fees … The poster campaign will be effective. I think parties will put up posters in cheap spaces.”

The Peace and Diversity Party also had insufficient funds to conduct such a campaign, vice-chairman Tin Maung Aye said.

“We are unable to pay the Rangoon City Development Committee to put up the posters. To put up a huge poster in a crowded place, we need to spend several hundred thousand dollars. That amount is beyond our budget,” he said.

Nevertheless, the party would display small posters bearing the message “Please vote for Peace and Diversity Party” in party offices, at members’ homes and on trees. Pictures of four candidates would also be printed on the posters, he said.

Vice-chairman Tin Maung Aye said: “Both methods can also raise public awareness. We have just four candidates, so we will not be putting up the vinyl posters.”

Democratic Party (Myanmar) general-secretary Than Than Nu told Mizzima that financial difficulties would also prevent the party erecting any vinyl posters.