Myanmar president vows free and fair elections

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar president vows free and fair elections

YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's president on Thursday reaffirmed his vow to hold a "free and fair" election after the country set the date for what many hope will be the most democratic vote in a generation for the former junta-run nation.

Millions will cast their votes in historic general elections on Nov 8 that are likely to be the first time in 25 years that Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition party have taken part in a nationwide poll.

"As the first civilian government in many years, we have a responsibility and we promise to try our best to ensure that the upcoming general election is clean, free and fair," said President Thein Sein in a national radio address a day after the poll date was confirmed.

The Myanmar leader, a former general, has been cheered by the international community for unleashing political and economic reforms that have cracked open the country's isolation, sparking the end of most Western sanctions.

Read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/myanmar-president-vows-free-and-fair-elections

[wabothai]

says who?

[gregk0543]

We will find out in 4 months times if he is speaking the truth or not, but to be fair U Thein Sein has been able to achieve a lot of reforms in the last 5 years and hopefully a free and fair election will also be one of them. It is a pity that the constitution was not created in a free and fair environment though.

[Farang99]

How can any election be fair when the army are guaranteed a majority, and Aung Sang Suu Kyi is specifically excluded from the office of prime minister? CLAPTRAP!