Earlier this month the Union Election Commission announced the list of townships where voting has been canceled. Baw Naw Khee Village Tract has been included on the list, ostensibly due to an alleged inability to hold a free and fair election in the area.

“Among the areas announced by the Union Election Commission, voting is cancelled in only Baw Naw Khee. The rest of the areas will have the election. We have collected the voter list from everyone. That’s why the election will be held in the rest of the townships except Baw Naw Khee Village Tract,” said U Hein Linn Htet, an election officer with the Mon State Election Sub-Commission Office.

According to the Mon State Election Sub-Commission Office, the election will be held on schedule in Mon State including Mawlamyaing Township, Kyaikmaraw Township, Chaungzon Township, Thanbyuzayat Township, Mudon Township, Ye Township, Thaton Township, Paung Township, and Kyaikhto Township.

Baw Naw Khee Village Tract, where voting has been canceled in territory controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU)’s Brigade's 1 and 5. As the voter list cannot be collected in the village tract up until now, the election cannot be held.

The Mon State Election Sub-Commission has stated that Mon State has over 1.47 million eligible voters. According to the Ye Township Election Sub-Commission’s office, over 1,000 polling stations will be open in the state.

According to Chapter 3 of the Union Election Commission Law, the Union Election Commission has the right to postpone elections in constituencies where free and fair elections cannot be held due to natural disaster or due to the local security situation.

Translated by Thida Linn with editing BNI staff.