Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Burma invites US and EU observers to April by-elections

Aung San Suu Kyi campaigning in February in the southern constituency she hopes to represent in parliamentThe US, EU and the UN say that the polls as 'a key test' of the government's commitment to reforms
Burma is inviting the United States and the European Union to send observers to its 1 April by-elections, a spokesman for the US embassy in Rangoon has said.
The move follows an earlier invitation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Tuesday.
It is the first time that foreign poll monitors are being allowed in Burma.
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is running for one of 48 parliamentary seats in the by-elections, which are seen as a crucial test of reforms.
'Joint team'
The US embassy spokesman confirmed that the invitation had been received in Washington and said the EU had also been contacted.
He said they had no details as to how many observers were welcome to monitor the vote.
Burma's government has yet to formally announce the invitations, said the Associated Press.
An AFP news report, citing an unnamed Burmese official, said that representatives from the UN had also been invited.
''It will be like a joint team with Asean, the EU, the US and the UN," the official told AFP.
But a spokesman for the US embassy in Rangoon said that only Asean, the US and the EU had been invited - not the UN.
'Hugely symbolic'
"We are encouraged that the Burmese authorities have invited international representatives as observers," an embassy statement said, "and it is notable that the Burmese government will also allow some journalists from these countries to observe the process, demonstrating increased openness to foreign media."
Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, with Derek Mitchell, left, US special envoy to Burma, on 14 March, 2012, in RangoonUS special envoy Derek Mitchell visited pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Bangkok says that the invitation to send election observers is yet another indication of how quickly things are changing in Burma - where the authorities need to have their reforms witnessed and internationally verified.
On Tuesday, Asean said that it had been asked to send a total of 23 delegates, including two MPs from each member state and media representatives.
Aung San Suu Kyi is standing for the first time since 1990, when Burma's military leaders refused to recognise her National League for Democracy (NLD) party's election victory.
Correspondents say that the move by Burma's military-backed civilian government is an attempt to ensure the election is seen as credible. The US and the EU still have Burmese sanctions in place.
The US, EU and the UN have described the polls as "a key test" of the government's commitment to reforms.
The vote will not change the balance of power in Burma, but it is being seen as hugely symbolic, our correspondent says.

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