Roundup: Myanmar's election campaign picks up momentum

Myanmar's nationwide election campaign is picking up momentum as political parties began campaigning Tuesday, two months before the upcoming general election scheduled for Nov. 8.

The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) kicked off its campaign by erecting a huge poster featuring President U Thein Sein's photo in front of the party's Yangon region office. U Thein Sein, who is USDP original chairman, is now president of the current government formed through the 2010 election.

With a slogan "Continue to strive for socio-economic development of the people," the USDP is carrying out its campaign across the country.

Vowing to accept people's decision to bring about change, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) also kicked off its election campaign in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay, with cars carrying posters and placards which read "Vote NLD for genuine change."

NLD Chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi, in her message for the launch of election campaign, described the upcoming general election as a crucial turning point of the country, calling on people to vote on the election day and not to lose the right to establish a genuine federal union through election.

Under the arrangement of the Union Election Commission (UEC), political parties are to broadcast through the state-operated Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) their party polices, political stance and objectives of entering the election.

A 15-minute radio and TV campaigning is being allowed twice for each political party on a rotational basis until Nov. 6, two days before the planned election.

The election commission has designated 1,171 constituencies for the vote at four levels of the parliament across the country with 330 constituencies for the Lower House, 168 for the Upper House, 644 for the Region or State Parliament and 29 for national race representatives.

According to preliminary figures of the UEC, a total of 6,189 qualified candidates will run the upcoming general election.

The candidates include 5,866 nominated from 92 political parties and 323 independents.

Of the 6,189 candidates, 1,772 are contesting for seats in the House of Representatives (Lower House), 913 for the House of Nationalities (Upper House), 3,341 for region or state parliament and 163 for Region or State Parliament of National Races.

However, 88 candidates have been reportedly disqualified by the commission but rights were offered to them to appeal against the commission's decision. The final figures of approved candidates are yet to be released by the UEC.

Of the political party candidates, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by new chairman U Htay Oo, accounted for 1,134, while the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, nominated 1,151 as preliminarily disclosed.

Following the two major parties, the National Unity Party (NUP) will have the third-highest number of candidates with 763. The NUP is followed by the National Progressive Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Force (NDF) in terms of the number of candidates filed for the election.

Seeking to contest in ethnic minorities constituencies, the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF), a coalition of 23 ethnic political parties, is sending 710 candidates to contest in the upcoming general election.

Some 32 million eligible voters across the country are expected to cast their votes in 41,000 polling stations across the country on the election day. Nationwide electoral rolls are set to be released on Sept. 14.

Meanwhile, international observers are being invited to monitor the election.

The 2015 general election will produce representatives to the next parliament which will take effect from the end of January next year. The presidential run will be on the heels of the parliamentary election by next February, while a new government is not scheduled to take office until late March 2016. Endi