Doubts are beginning to grow among the country’s main opposition parties that upcoming by-elections on April 1 will be free and fair. Dead people are on voters’ lists, discrepancies exist regarding people’s names, while individuals who do not support the government- backed party are being excluded, according to, U Ohn Kyaing, chief spokesperson for the National League for Democracy (NLD). Party workers say they found 1,000 voters' list irregularities in one Mandalay election ward alone. It’s not accidental, said U Ohn Kyaing, who is contesting a seat in Mandalay. Authorities seem to be making these polls as difficult as possible for opposition parties, U Ohn Kyaing said this week. "We were initially given three days -- March 4-6 -- to check voter lists but this was extended until March 22 after we complained to the election commission," he added. Poor venues for campaign rallies and the censorship of part of a broadcast by Aung San Suu Kyi do not bode well, he continued. “However, we will unite with the public and do our best as the participation of the public is essential. We must not be afraid,” he said. The NLD, which will contest all but one of the vacant 48 parliamentary seats in the April 1 polls, says it has made a list of the irregularities it has found so far and will send it to the election commission. Than Htike Oo from the People's Democracy Party, who is also contesting a seat in Mandalay, agreed there were problems with voter lists. He said he complained to officials but nothing was done about it. “Officials are telling the public the polls must be free and fair, but this does not appear to be the case. We will only know for sure if they are free after the elections take place,” he said. There are 17 parties and six independent candidates competing in 48 constituencies in the by-elections according to the Democratic Voice of Burma news agency.
