HOUSE OF THE WEEK
Warm single-storey house in Thingangyun
UNCOMPLICATED suburban living sums up this single-level house in Thingangyun township. The house is not overly spacious but there is a nice garden and lawn as compensation. more
First-time voters to decide 2010 poll
(Volume 26, No. 510)
FOR 25-year-old Wai Wai, the 2010 general election will be her first opportunity to shape the future of her country. She says she has already decided to give her vote to the political party she feels will bring economic development and improve people’s real living standards.
“I am not a partisan. I am interested in the party that will bring economic development. The economy is one of the most important issues for a country,” she said.
“I hope that the political parties can freely participate in the election. I’m confident this poll will really change the political and economic situation in Myanmar.”
A computer teacher at an international school in Yangon with a Masters degree in computer science, she was just five years old when the 1990 election took place
Kareng Brang Shawng, a 25-year-old humanitarian worker based in Yangon, says he is keeping an open mind about where to direct his ballot. However, he says he will vote for a political party with a strong base in his native Kachin State.
“As I come from the upper part of the country (Kachin State), I will vote for the political party that will best represent my region,” said Kareng Brang Shawng, an ethnic Kachin.
In Myanmar, there are millions of young people just like Wai Wai and Kareng Brang Shawng who want to change the political and economic landscape and have waited many years for the opportunity.
According to government estimates, in 2006 there were more than 17.5 million people – 30 percent of the country’s total population – in the 20-39 age bracket. Another 5 million were aged 15-19 in 2006, and could well be of voting age when the election is held later this year.
This cohort – those old enough to vote but who have almost certainly never voted in an election before – will be an important voting bloc in this year’s poll. Winning their support will be crucial for any party hoping to form government.
As the election draws closer, political parties are announcing their intention to compete in this year’s poll. However, none of the parties have released details policies on critical issues, including the economy, health, education, welfare, energy, employment, foreign relations and defence.
Dr Maung Maung Soe, a retired professor at the Yangon Institute of Economics, says he expects parties who make practical – and achievable – promises to be the most successful on polling day.
“The parties need to accurately inform the public of their intentions and policies and only make promises that are feasible,” he said.
One politician who has already publicly stated his intention to contest the election is U Ohn Lwin. He told The Myanmar Times recently votes from the younger generations – who he says expect economic development, better employment opportunities and higher incomes – will play a vital role in the outcome of the election.
“I think we can say about 60pc or 70pc of the eligible voting population fits into this demographic. Their votes will be one of the decisive factors in the election,” he said.
“People want economic development, but politics and economics are interconnected. That’s why we can only expect economic development when there is political stability.
“But we can’t really release policies until we see the election law,” he added.
U Ohn Lwin says the election will be a turning point for the country as a democratic system will be established and a parliament with legislative power convened. But he says there will be no immediate changes after the election because it will take some time for parliament to become operational and begin passing laws and carrying out new policies.
Both Wai Wai and Kareng Brang Shawng also say they expect it will take some years before there is a significant improvement in living standards in Myanmar.
