Announcement on the 2010 Elections

Announcement on the 2010 Elections

(Unofficial Translation)

(1) With the aim of emergence of democratic system in Burma, the people of Burma effectively toppled the single-party dictatorship in 1988. However, the military generals took control of the state power on 18 September 1988 and since then they are ruling the country with the name of SLORC (later SPDC) [State Law and Order Restoration Council (later State Peace and Development Council)], aggressively oppressing the people, and trying to transform the military dictatorship to a legal government.

(2) In the statement (1/88) issued by the SLORC (SPDC), the generals stated that “the military takes over the country’s sovereign power to carry out the four major tasks”, and that “holding a multi-party general election will be their last task”. The SLORC successfully held the multi-party general elections on 27 May 1990 and therefore, the military has completed its last task dutifully.

(3) The Election Commission acknowledged that the National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory with securing 82% of the parliamentary seats. The Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces also said on 30 May 1990 that “this election was actually free and fair.” In her speech on 2 July 1999, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi clearly said that “until and unless the 1990 election result is implemented, we have no reason to think about the next election”. Without implementing the 1990 election result according to the existing laws, new elections should not be carried out. If do so, it will not be free and fair.

(4) Therefore, we, Members of Parliament elected from the 1990 elections, will not recognize and accept the 2010 election, and will not contest in that election. We clearly announce that we continue to try to solve the problems in Burma by means of political dialogue and for emergence of a democratic government, as wished by the people of Burma.

Date: 18 July 2008

(1) Members of Committee Representing the Peoples’ Parliament
(2) Members of Parliament
(3) Members of States and Divisions Organizing Committee