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'90 poll result no longer valid, sa



Subject: '90 poll result no longer valid, says Burmese junta


90 poll results no longer valid, says Burmese junta
The Asian Age, 8th April 1996.
 
Bangkok, April 7: Burmas military rulers are gambling on economic 
gains of recent years helping to erase memories of political repression 
and boost chances for their supporters in future elections, analysts say.
 
A two-part article on Friday and Saturday in Rangoons state-run news 
papers suggested the 1990 elections, won overwhelmingly by pro-
democracy Opposition, could no longer be considered valid. Voters 
view as well as the composition of the electorate had changed since in 
the interviewing six years and "must be taken into consideration," 
article said.
 
"The government believes that, by bringing peace and stability to the 
country through agreements with ethnic minorities and improving the 
lot of the people, it has gained more support," a Rangoon-based 
analysts said on Sunday.
 
Since taking over in 1988, the junta has signed cease-fire agreement 
with all but one of 15 ethnic insurgent groups operating in border 
areas and has progressively sought to open up the economy.
 
The junta, officially known as the State Law and Order Restoration 
Council, organized general elections in 1990 even though it had 
crushed nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations.
 
The SLORC, which saw itself as the savior of the nation during unrest, 
had expected a multi-party coalition post-elections.
 
But when the Opposition National League for Democracy won a 
landslide, the junta refused to accept  the result and instead said it 
would convene an Assembly of largely hand-picked delegates to draft a 
new constitution, promising that fresh elections would be called later.
 
The Constitutional convention, which began its session in January 
1993, still periodically.
 
The NLD, which had earlier sent delegates to the convention, 
withdrew from the Assembly last November, saying it was not 
acceptable in its present form. The withdrawal came at the first session 
after the release of NLD leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi from six years 
of house arrest in July.
 
Last month, the NLD asked the SLORC to convene a legislature based 
on the 1990 ballot - a request rejected in the officially-inspired 
article 
in Burmese press.
 
"No constitution is in force. No legislature has been continued either. 
With which constitution is the legislature to be convened? The election 
were held in 1990. It has been nearly six years since," the article said. 
Some observers expect the Union Solidarity and Development 
Association groups set up around the country in the past two years as a 
broad-cased social organization to play an increasingly political role. 
The party hold mass rallies supporting the governments military 
policies and projects and could, in the view of some, turn into! a 
political power base for the SLORC.

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