It's not looking good for the government. But then it’s not looking too good for the opposition either. Down in the Myeik Archipelago, many voters seem not to be very enthusiastic about any of the parties – or about elections, or voting.

Campaigning for the November 8 election officially started on September 8, though all parties will face difficulties operating in remote areas with few roads and no internet or phone connection. How this will affect the first strongly contested nationwide election in two generations remains to be seen.

The campaigning challenges are most evident in Kyun Su township, a collection of islands and isolated mainland west and south of the town of Myeik. The headquarters for the southern naval coastal command, it is home to more than 170,000 people, the majority of whom earn a living from fishing.

In the 2010 election, USDP candidate and former navy chief U Soe Thein, now a minister in the President’s Office, was elected unopposed from Kyun Su to the Pyithu Hluttaw. In the 2012 by-election, which was contested by the National League for Democracy, the NLD’s Daw Tin Tin Yi took the seat.

Daw Tin Tin Yi is running again for the NLD, against U Kyaw Maung from the USDP, U Soe Kyi from the National Unity Party and U Thurein Win from the Democratic Party (Myanmar).

In the upper house, the NLD’s U Okkar Min and USDP’s U Khin Maung Htay will compete, together with U Kyaw Swar Oo from the Democratic Party. The pick of the regional hluttaw candidates is U Thein Lwin, former Tanintharyi Region minister for trade and planning, who is running for the USDP.

But in Kyun Su, these names have little resonance.

Naw Baby Lay, 23, of Waryit Kayin village, about 90 minutes from Myeik, has never voted before and isn’t sure she will on November 8.

“I have no idea yet whether I will vote or not,” she said on 12 September. “I dislike the present government. But I don’t much want to vote for the NLD either.”

Even local residents who took notice of the 2010 election and the 2012 by-election are less than electrified at the prospect of another poll.

Mother of two Ma Einn Gyin, 36, of Pa Eaint village, about two hours from Myeik by boat, hasn’t given the election much thought. She’s not even sure if her name is on the voters list.

“I have no time. My husband goes out on his fishing boat every day and I stay home to look after the children and the shop,” she said.

Ma Ohmar, of Ma San Par village, said she knew nothing of the local candidates, but would vote NLD. “I haven’t met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But I love her and I must vote for her,” she said.

Reaching voters in Kyun Su is particularly challenging. Just 3.2 percent of the population is urban, according to the 2014 census, and the rest live in 162 villages that can only be reached by boat.

All candidates interviewed by The Myanmar Times said they were concerned that turnout would be low among the 90,000-plus eligible voters in Kyun Su.

NLD candidate U Okkar Min said most villagers were unaware of the election, and the parties had done little voter education.

“We’re working hard on getting people to the polls,” he said. “But we can’t go to all of the islands to campaign, and most of the time we have to just say that voting for the NLD will bring change, rather than other things [like voter education].”

Those most likely to miss out are the township’s fishermen, as the election will take place at the peak of the fishing season.

According to the local fisheries department, more than 500 fishing boats are operating in the Myeik Archipelago, each with at least seven fishermen aboard.

Ko Tun Mya, 42, a fisherman from Ma San Par village, said he wanted to vote, and had confirmed that his name appeared on the electoral roll.

“But if we have to go out fishing that day I won’t be able to vote,” he said.

The commission has tried to alleviate some of these concerns by putting out notices asking boats not to head out of port on November 8, declaring it a “no fishing day”.

But U Hlaing Bwar, assistance director of the Myeik District election sub-commission, said it had made no provision for fisherman who have to work to cast an advance vote. Instead, it is focusing on ensuring those in remote areas get to vote.

“We are just arranging support to voters who are coming from far away areas to polling station,” he said. “The parties should advocate for [the fishermen] if they don’t want them to miss the vote.”

The USDP said it is unconcerned about the issue, however.

U Ko Ko Gyi, a party spokesperson based in Myeik, said that although USDP candidates have not yet started campaigning in Kyun Su they are confident of repeating the 2010 triumph.

“We have a strong core of voters – much stronger than the NLD – in Kyun Su,” he said. “We are sure that our candidates will win all of the constituencies.”