This week, the district election commission has rejected five Rohingya Muslim candidates to contest in the November 8 General Election 2020. Amidst the refused candidates, four are from Democracy and Human Rights Party (DHRP) and one independent candidate.
Election commission of Maungdaw District has rejected the following 4 candidates from DHRP:
- U Kyaw Min who applied to contest for (Lower House) Pyithu Hluttaw from Buthidaung constituency.
- U Zawfar Ullah @ U Saw Myint who applied to contest for State Hluttaw No-2 from Buthidaung constituency.
- U Aung Hla who applied to contest for State Hluttaw No-1 from Buthidaung constituency.
- U Abdul Rashid who applied to contest for the Lower House (Pyithu Hluttaw) in Sittwe constituency.
And U Abu Tahar @ Thar Aye, an independent candidate who applied to contest for (Lower House) Pyithu Hluttaw from Buthidaung constituency was also rejected.
On August 11, the Sittwe District election subcommission rejected U Abdul Rashid application and on August 14, the Election Subcommission officials in Maungdaw rejected U Abu Tahar @ Thar Aye’s application.
According to U Kyaw Than, an officer of the District Election Commission, they rejected all the candidates under article (10), Sub-section (e) of electoral law. This article requires the parent of the candidate to be a citizen of Myanmar before the candidate is born.
“My both parents were citizens of Myanmar, yet I was rejected,” said Abdul Rashid. He further questioned, “Why this law is only applied on the Rohingya?”
U Thar Aye said, they rejected him from contesting, because of the policy and not of the law, as his parents and his grandparents are also citizens of the country.
DHRP is planning to appeal to the State Election Commission.
So far, only U Aye Win from DHRP who applied for (Lower House) Pyithu Hluttaw from in Maung Daw was approved to stand for the election.
