Myanmar's government-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) has called for successful holding of "free and fair election without any mistake" ahead of the multi- party general election set for Nov. 7., an official daily reported Thursday.
At a meeting with region-, state-, district- level commissions on coordination of the electoral process on Wednesday, the UEC chairman U Thein Soe stressed the need to prepare the voting roll and list of candidates and constituencies, said the New Light of Myanmar.
He urged all the officials concerned to abide by the electoral laws prescribed in carrying out the tasks.
According to U Thein Soe, at least five polling booths for each parliament will be set up to enable voters to cast their votes in time.
The UEC has closed on Aug. 30 for enlisting of candidates from political parties to contest in the coming election in terms of constituencies and parliaments at respective levels.
Disclosed by the UEC, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by Prime Minister U Thein Sein, is fielding 1, 100 candidates, National Unity Party (NUP) 975, National Democratic Force (NDF), which a splinter faction from the National League for Democracy (NLD), 160 and Shan Nationals Democratic Party (SNDP) 157 to run the election.
The commission designated 330 constituencies for parliamentary house of representatives election and 12 constituencies for parliamentary house of nationalities election in each region or state across the country in running the election.
It also designated two constituencies for each township for election of parliamentary representatives in each region or state and one constituency for election of parliamentary representatives for each ethnic minority in each region or state.
The constituencies are scattered in townships in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan and Chin states, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Bago, Magway, Ayeyawaddy, Yangon and Mandalay regions.
The electoral law reserves an equal number of one-third of the total number of parliamentary representatives by representatives from the military personnel nominated by the commander-in-chief of the defense services in the region or state parliamentary election.
So far, the commission has granted legal registration of a total of 42 political parties out of 47 which sought for entering the polls. The remaining five are awaiting for approval.
The 42 contesting political parties are made up of 37 new and five old parties left by the 1990 general election.
Myanmar government announced a seven-step roadmap in August 2003 which mainly include the reconvening of national convention, drafting of new state constitution, holding of national referendum on drafted constitution, sponsoring general election and formation of a new "civilian" government.