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Balanced, neutral and honorable commission, laws, by-laws, rules and regulations are the key for a free and fair election. Fairness of elections will be nothing if rules and regulations are too strict to follow though the commission is balanced and neutral and if the commission is unfair though laws and regulations are fair.
The Union Election Commission prepares its step to control electioneering of political parties, party leaders and their relying on the media for their electioneering. To look back to the beginning of the commission, we need to go back to the year 2010.
Aye-Chan-Pyo Commission
As it’s established by the State Peace and Development Council with aims to make 2010 general elections successful, it should be called Aye-Chan-Pyo Commission. It was established on March 11, 2010 in accord with Section 443 of 2008 Constitution and Section 3 of 2010 Union Election Commission Law enacted by the council.
The Union Election Commission is chaired by Thein Soe and has a membership of 17 including Myint Naing, Dr Tin Aung Aye and Aung Myint. The State Peace and Development Council allowed Deputy Chief Justice Thein Soe, Deputy Attorney General Myint Naing, Judge of the Supreme Court Dr Tin Aung Aye and Aung Myint, a member of Civil Services Board to retire on March 10, 2010.
The commission’s office was formed with a total of 200 staff members in accord with the decision made by the government’s meeting numbered 47/2010 held on December 9, 2010.
New government and new commission
The government of the ruling party “Union Solidarity and Development Party” which won a landslide victory in the 2010 election established the new commission. While it seemed a new commission, it’s formed with almost every member from the old one. So it can be said they just made a snake-skin change.
It made no significant difference as the ruling party’s chairman and the President appointed a top-ranking leader of the party as the commission’s chairman after they formed the new government. Tin Aye became the commission’s chairman on March 30, 2011. The commission under Thein Sein’s administration is no difference from the one of the SPDC. Every member of the new commission are from the old one.