By South-East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel, wires–
ABC/Reuters
Updated 2 hours 34 minutes ago
Allegations of fraud and voter intimidation are overshadowing Burma’s first election in 20 years.
The allegations are not unexpected. Burma’s military leaders may have resigned to become civilians ahead of the poll but the lead up to the election has been rife with manipulation to make sure the junta’s party wins.
Election laws have banned the key opposition, ruled out some ethnic groups and quarantined a quarter of the parliament for the military.
Now there are allegations that voters have been threatened with job losses or even loss of citizenship if they do not vote for the ruling party.
Foreign media and observers have been banned from Burma for the election so its unclear how many people are voting.
Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s banned opposition has urged people to boycott the poll.
About 40,000 polling stations opened early this morning across Burma.
Three parties have made complaints about fraud, including one of the pro-military parties.
Britain’s ambassador in Burma, Andrew Heyn, says he does not think the elections are a sign of real change.
“There’s nothing in these elections themselves that could give us grounds for optimism,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean we turn our backs and walk away. We continue to press for progress after the elections and if that progress happens, we will of course welcome it. But in and of themselves, these elections don’t mark a step for progress.”
In Australia for ministerial talks, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton says the elections again expose the abuses of the country’s military rulers.
Ms Clinton says the people of Burma deserve better.
“We hope that perhaps out of these elections some leaders will emerge who know that Burma has to take a different track, that they cannot continue to do the same thing, and realise the potential of their people,” she said.
The election is the first since 1990, when pro-democracy candidates won by a landslide, a result ignored by the military junta which has ruled Burma for almost 50 years.