A report states that no arrangements have been made to give the 790 disabled voters in Kalamayo District in Sagaing Region easy access to polling stations on election day, 8 November.
U Win Khan Pau, the Chairman of the Kalay District Election Commission said: “There are no special arrangements [being made] for disabled people to vote like they do in other countries. They have to vote the same [way] as other people, but to make voting accessible to them parents, brothers or sisters could help them get to the voting booth."
Pu VanKim, Chairman of Chin National Democratic Party has suggested that election commission officials and other election related officials should allow disabled people to vote at their homes.
He said: "We should not make it hard for them. If district or block election commissions are really concerned about people with disabilities they can arrange for them to vote from home, along with elderly people in the block, no matter which party they want to vote for. In fact, we have no trust in the voting booths as the officials are their men."
There are 375 male disabled voters and 415 female disabled voters out of a total of 300,000 voters in Kalay District who will be voting at 126 polling booths.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
