| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| U.S. calls Myanmar election laws "a mockery" |
| 11 Mar 2010 |
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The United States says new laws enacted by Myanmar's military government make a mockery of democracy and ensure that elections due later this year will be a farce.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the election measures, which set strict limits on political participation, undercut U.S. efforts to improve ties with the country.
Mr Crowley said that given the tenor of the election laws that the military rulers have put forward, there's no hope that this election will be credible.
Under the new laws, Myanmar's military government is requiring several parties, including the opposition National League for Democracy headed by detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to re-register with officials within 60 days or face closure.
Parties that register will be required to exclude members serving prison terms.
This would include Ms Suu Kyi, who has spent 15 of the past 21 years in detention and is now serving 18 months in house detention for breaching security laws.
The measures are being released in advance of Myanmar's first elections in 20 years.
No date has yet been set for the polls already regarded with deep skepticism by many political observers. |