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2nd LD Writethru: Myanmar begins parliamentary by-elections to fill vacant seats

Xinhua, April 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

A multi-party parliamentary by-election began across Myanmar Saturday morning at 6 a.m. local time with a total of 2 million eligible voters going to polls to cast their votes.

A total of 94 candidates including 16 female are competing for 19 vacant parliamentary seats available in 22 townships in eight regions and states across the nation.

It is the first by-election since the new government, led by the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), took office last year.

Of the 19 vacant parliamentary seats, nine are with the House of Representatives (Lower House), three with the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and seven with the state parliaments.

Of the 94 candidates, 87 are from 24 political parties with 18 each shared by the NLD and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), while the seven others are individuals

In Yangon region alone, over 1 million eligible voters are expected to cast their votes in five townships constituencies including two competitively strong ones, Kawhmu and Hlaingtharya, for a total of four seats of House of Representatives and one seat of House of Nationalities contested among 33 candidates.

The vacant seat of House of Representatives in Kawhmu constituency, left by Aung San Suu Kyi after she became a government cabinet member, was contested among nine candidates, while Hlaingtharya's similar seat was competed among eight candidates.

In the No. 6 constituency in Yangon covering six townships where a seat of House of Nationalities will be contested among six candidates.

In Kawhmu township constituency, the main opponents for the seat of House of Representatives go to U Kyaw Swe Win of the NLD and U Kyaw Zin Hein of the USDP, while in the Hlaingtharya township constituency, the main competitors are represented by U Win Min of the NLD and U Tin Yu of the USDP.

The 19 vacant parliamentary seats were left by parliament members after they were appointed as government cabinet ministers, while other vacancies were available as some constituencies failed to hold the polling in the last general election in 2015.

The polling booths will close on the day at 4 p.m. local time and will be followed by open counting of votes.

Election result or names of winning parliamentarians-elect will be announced by the Union Election Commission Election Result Center in Nay Pyi Taw late Saturday. Enditem