UN urges fair Myanmar polls
Ban Ki Moon (above) on Monday told reporters the world wanted November 7 elections in the former Burma to produce a 'credible, civilian and democratic government.' -- PHOTO: AP
Speaking to reporters after a ministerial level meeting of the so-called ‘Group of Friends’ on Myanmar, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Monday told reporters the world wanted November 7 elections in the former Burma to produce a ‘credible, civilian and democratic government.’
‘They clearly reiterated the need for the election process to be more inclusive, participatory and transparent,’ Mr Ban said.
‘Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,’ he said.’This is essential for the election to be seen as credible and contribute to Myanmar’s stability and development.’
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi last month advised members of her now-defunct National League for Democracy (NLD) party not to vote in the election, the first since 1990 polls the NLD won in a landslide, a result the junta refused to recognise.
Rights groups have derided the elections as a sham designed to entrench military power in the isolated South-east Asian nation. Mr Ban’s Group of Friends includes Australia, Britain, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, Vietnam and the European Union.
