Myanmar trains over 40,000 special police force for election

Myanmar is conducting training for more than 40,000 special police force members to be used across the country for security purpose in the upcoming general election set for Nov.8, U Tun Tun Win, Deputy Chief of Yangon Region Police Force, told Xinhua Friday.

Duties have been assigned to them starting Oct.15 through to Nov.13 , U Tun Tun Win said in an interview.

Of them, 5,495 well-trained police force members will be introduced for Yangon region, more than double used in the last general election in 2010, while in northernmost Kachin state, over 800 such members will be mobilized to guard polling in such areas as Myitgyina, Bahmo, Moenyin and Puta O, according to earlier report.

The security measures are to be taken for four periods, namely pre-election period, campaigning period, election period and post-election period for the stability and successful holding of the election.

Meanwhile, election campaign by political parties and independents at home have been in full swing since it started on Sept. 8 but will end on Nov. 6, two days before the election.

There are 35 million eligible voters in the country, according to chairman of the commission U Tin Aye.

The election commission is opening a total of 40,516 polling booths in the country, most of which lie in Yangon, Mandalay, Ayeyawaddy, Bago and Magway regions.

Of a total of 6,072 candidates including 310 independents running the upcoming general election, 5,762 are nominated from 91 political parties.

The commission designated 1,163 constituencies for the vote at four levels of the parliament across the country. Endit