NLD poised to win 44 constituencies

 Late Sunday night, NLD officials were cautiously jubilant, saying they are poised for  won 44 constituencies in the historic by-election that places Aung San Suu Kyi in the center of opposition politics in Burma. Their forecast was based on unofficial results.

Early Sunday morning candidate Aung San Suu Kyi visited several villages and greeted voters in Kawhmu Township, where she stayed overnight prior to election day. She left the township to return to her home in Rangoon around 10:30 a.m.

Aung San Suu Kyi issued a National League for Democracy (NLD) note for all NLD candidates to be gracious in victory, and to be prepared to work with other opposition parties and the ruling government.  Union Election Commission said the official results would be certified in about one week.
NLD further said its candidates did well in Naypyitaw, the seat of the government-backed United Solidarity and Development Party.

Reports said voting may have occurred in some of the areas in Kachin State where authorities said polling would be postponed because of security concerns.

National League for Democracy (NLD) candidate Sai Myint Maung told Mizzima that voting in polling stations in downtown Lashio Township in Kachin State was going smoothly. Voting may also be going on in some areas where voting was postponed for security reasons, he said. Security guards are posted at the polling stations, he said.  Lashio Township NLD electoral campaign official Than Htay told Mizzima Sai Myint Maung is leading in the constituency with more than 7,000 votes.

 
“The latest information we had is that there would be no polling station in the 11 villages in Tangyang. But, the commission said that they would try to hold the by-elections in those locations. They said they would try it against all odds,” Sai Myint Maung said.

Based on unofficial results, the NLD said the vote count at polling station number 3 in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township constituency indicated Phyu Phyu Thin easily won and will go to Parliament. Phyu Phyu Thin heads the NLD's volunteer HIV/AIDS relief center in Rangoon.

An interesting sidelight: Former chief of Military Intelligence and former Primer Minister Khin Nyunt teased reporters on Sunday, saying that he cast his ballot for a party that is supported by many people.

Khin Nyunt, along with his wife and son, went to a polling station at Ward No. 7 in Mayangon Township, Rangoon, about 9 a.m, said reporter Lin Bo Bo. Journalists asked him which party he favored, and he said a party that is popular.

His son, Zaw Naing Oo, said that he personally voted for the “Fighting Peacock” [the NLD].

President Thein Sein cast his ballot in the Zabuthiri constituency in Naypyitaw on Sunday morning. Observers said the government-backed ruling party candidates would do well around Naypyitaw, the home of many state employees. When reporters asked the president about the election, he said: "Everything is fine." However, the NLD late Sunday night was close to claiming at least one of its candidates was doing well in that area.

Many Burma observers were holding their breath about voting irregularities, hoping a 2010-like rigged election could be avoided. While it's still very early, many observers and international reporters are commenting on the relatively minor irregularities and voting abuses in the by-election so far.

88-Generation Student leader Ko Ko Gyi 

When compared to many Asian countries where voting is accompanied by murders, attacks by thugs, rampant, massive vote buying, shameless stuffing of ballots (that could still happen) and other serious, organized abuses, the Burmese by-election may just possibly go down as fairly clean by the standards of the Asian region. But reports over the next few days will be critical to confirm that

However, if the NLD candidates post a clear victory, it will be hard to claim a rigged election. Campaign abuses, yes; problems with voting rolls, yes; abuses by local polling officials, yes; but outright stealing of the election: that would be hard to claim in face of what looks like the anticipated NLD victory that many Burma observers predicted. While the Union Election Commission members may stumble on procedures and organization, and local EC officials may show favoritism and abuse the process, the same type of lapses occur in all countries.

The most organized abuse seems to be the waxing of ballots, making it difficult for voters to record a vote for the NLD.A typical example of voting irregularities from our reporter in Rangoon: Kyaw Swe, one of a five-member family based in the Thone Gwa township in Rangoon Division, said all of the family were left off the voter list. “Even though I reported to the township’s election commission, the office was unable to organize an arrangement for the family to participate in voting,” said Kyaw Swe, adding that his family planned to vote for the National League for Democracy (NLD). That was a common case in many constituencies in Yangon, said leading political activist Ko Ko Gyi, especially in Dagon Seikkan and Mayan Gone townships. Ko Ko Gyi is a member of the 88-Generation students who are monitoring the election.
“We have found many complaints from those eligible to vote, who have not been listed to vote, despite that fact that they have national ID cards and are listed in the official census,” Ko Ko Gyi told Mizzima News.

A 35-year-old voter from Yangon Division’s Hlegu Township said she could not write down a clear tick mark on her ballot. “Probably, the card was covered with a plastic-like thing [wax],” the woman said.