Burma/Myanmar Announces Long-Awaited Election Laws

“Burma’s ruling junta, formally known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has announced the enactment of long awaited laws, setting the stage for an election that presumably will take place later this year,” says Suzanne DiMaggio, Asia Society’s Director of Policy Studies. “Full details are expected to be released on Tuesday, but it is anticipated that these laws will outline the rules for the registration of parties and candidates, campaigning procedures, and possibly the date of the election. With the release of these laws, we should get a sense soon whether the National League for Democracy (NLD) party of Aung San Suu Kyi will participate in the elections. Even if the laws are acceptable, the sticking point may turn out to be the new and disputed constitution which guarantees that the military will maintain at least 25% of all parliamentary seats, perpetuating the SPDC’s rule.”

Suzanne, who is based in New York, is the Director of Asia Society’s Task Force on U.S. Policy toward Burma/Myanmar. The Task Force is set to release its report in Washington on March 31, and in New York on April 7.

To arrange an interview, contact the Asia Society communications department at 212-327-9271 or [email protected].