1990 Myanmar general election

none November 2015 November 2015 Myanmar 1974 parliamentary 1985 Burmese general election 1985 27 May 1990Annulled 2010 Myanmar general election 2010 All 492 seats in the Constitutional Committee 247 72.6% 100px Aung San Suu Kyi National League for Democracy 392 7,943,622 59.9% NUP U Tha Gyaw National Unity Party (Myanmar) 21.2% 10 2,805,559 SNLD Khun Htun Oo Shan Nationalities League for Democracy 1.7% 23 222,821 General elections were held in Myanmar on 27 May 1990, the first multi-party elections since 1960, after which the country had been ruled by a military dictatorship. The elections were for a constitutional committee to draft a new constitution.Aung-Thwin Michael Aung-Thwin Maitrii A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times: Traditions and Transformations 2012 Reaktion Books London 266–267 9781861899392Steinberg David Burma/Myanmar - What Everyone Needs to Know Oxford University Press 2010 90–93 978-0-19-539067-4 The result was a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won 392 of the 492 seats. However, the military junta refused to recognise the results and continued ruling the country until 2011. Voter turnout was 73%.Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p611 0-19-924958-X Background The aftermath of the uprising in 1988 and the rise of leader Aung San Suu Kyi placed worldwide media attention on the political situation in Myanmar.Reid Robert Grosberg, Michael Myanmar (Burma) Lonely Planet 2005 35 978-1-74059-695-4 In September 1988, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC, the predecessor to the State Peace and Development Council), in its Declaration No. 1, had set four goals for the country: to maintain law and order, improve transportation, improve the humanitarian situation and hold multi-party elections.Guyot James F 1991 Myanmar in 1990: The unconsummated election Asian Survey University of California Press 31 2 205–211 2644932 10.2307/2644932 It also stated that the military would not "cling to power for long". Aung San Suu Kyi had been calling for dialogue between the SLORC and the citizens of Myanmar.Ling Bettina Aung San Suu Kyi: standing up for democracy in Burma https://archive.org/details/aungsansuukyista00ling registration Feminist Press 1999 62 978-1-55861-196-2 In May 1989, the government reopened universities that had been involved in the uprising the previous year. At the same time, the government conceded and a date for the election was set for May 1990 with political parties registering for the election immediately.Ling, 1999, p. 63. The date, 27 May 1990, was chosen for its auspicious nature surrounding the number 9; 27 May (2+7=9), and on the fourth Sunday of the fifth month (4+5=9).Perry Peter John Myanmar (Burma) since 1962: the failure of development Ashgate Publishing, Ltd 2007 43 978-0-7546-4534-4 Parties and campaigning 93 political parties presented a total of 2,297 candidates to contest the 492 constituencies, with at least 2 candidates per constituency.Eur Far East and Australasia 2003 Routledge 2002 863 978-1-85743-133-9 Of the 93, 19 different ethnic parties also took part in the election.Steinberg David I Burma, the state of Myanmar Georgetown University Press 2001 46 978-0-87840-893-1 https://archive.org/details/burmastateofmyan0000stei/page/46 The National Unity Party (NUP) was favoured by the military to win. Aung San Suu Kyi, a popular opposition figure, ran against General Ne Win's largely disliked associate, Sein Lein.Ludwig Arnold M King of the Mountain: The Nature of Political Leadership University Press of Kentucky 2004 106 978-0-8131-9068-6 The symbol for the NUP was a sheaf of rice stalks, and the NLD's was a straw hat.https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/01/weekinreview/the-world-the-burmese-are-going-to-vote-the-army-tells-them-to.html The Burmese Are Going to Vote; the Army Tells Them To Erlanger Steven 1 April 1990 The New York Times Some people took to wearing rice stalks around their bare feet, a grave insult in a Buddhist country. Although election campaigning was underway, the government placed restrictions on opposition politicians. U Aung Gyi, a former member of the junta, was expected to lead a weak coalition that would not challenge the interests of the army. He was imprisoned in 1988 for his outspoken views against the regime, but criticised Aung San Suu Kyi for being a "radical manipulated by Communists". Former Prime Minister U Nu remained under house arrest during the election process,https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/27/world/burmese-vote-today-or-do-they.html Burmese Vote Today, or Do They? Erlanger Steven 27 May 1990 The New York Times as was Aung San Suu Kyi since 20 July 1989, without trial.Silverstein Josef 1996 The Idea of Freedom in Burma and the Political Thought of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Pacific Affairs 69 2 211–228 http://charlesesalazar.pbworks.com/f/The+idea+of+freedom+in+burma+and+the+pol+thought+of+aung+sang+suu+kyi.pdf 10.2307/2760725 2760725 Throughout campaigning, the government kept its restrictions on public gatherings and political meetings, and required all political literature to be approved by the SLORC prior to publication; however political parties defied the ruling.Ling, 1999, p. 64. Two days before the election, visas for 61 foreign journalists were unexpectedly issued to cover the vote. Results The National League for Democracy (NLD) won 392 of the 492 contested seats, which would have given it an overwhelming majority in the constitutional committee had it convened. The National Unity Party (NUP), which was favoured by the incumbent military junta, came second in terms of vote share with 21% of the vote and fourth in terms of seats, with only 10 seats in the chamber. The remaining seats in the chamber were won by a mixture of ethnic parties and independents. National League for Democracy 7934622 392 National Unity Party 2805559 10 Peasants National Unity Organisation (NUP) 300906 0 League for Democracy and Peace 243023 0 Shan Nationalities League for Democracy 222821 23 Union National Democracy Party 196518 1 Arakan League for Democracy 160783 11 Workers Unity Organisation (NUP) 153854 0 Mon National Democratic Front 138572 5 National Democratic Party for Human Rights 128129 4 Party for National Democracy 72672 3 Youth Unity Organisation (NUP) 71517 0 Democracy Party 63815 1 Students and Youth League for Mayyu Development 57088 0 Chin National League for Democracy 51187 3 Democratic Front for National Reconstruction 38203 0 Union Pa-O National Organisation 35389 3 Arakan People's Democratic Front 29115 0 Ta'ang National League for Democracy 23975 2 Union Danu League for Democracy Party 23145 1 Mro or Khami National Solidarity Organisation 22778 1 Zomi National Congress 18638 2 Democratic Organisation for Kayan National Unity 16553 2 Union Karen League 16518 0 Lahu National Development Party 15796 1 Union of Burma (Main) AFPFL 14443 0 Kachin State National Congress for Democracy 13994 3 green Kayah State Nationalities League for Democracy 11664 2 Graduates and Old Students Democratic Association 10634 1 Naga Hills Regional Progressive Party 10612 2 Kamans National League for Democracy 10596 1 Kachin State National Democratic Party 10069 0 Lisu National Solidarity 9397 0 United Nationalities League for Democracy 9389 1 Kokang Democracy and Unity Party 9085 0 Democratic Party for New Society 9031 0 Arakan National Unity Organisation 8663 0 Democratic League for the National Races of Shan State 7210 0 Karen National Congress for Democracy 6776 0 Karen State National Organisation 6401 1 Kachin National Congress 6304 0 Shan State Kokang Democratic Party 6195 1 League of Peasants' Unions 6037 0 Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League 6029 0 Mara People's Party 5873 1 Inn-Tha National Organisation 5790 0 Farmer, Gadu Ganan and Shan National Unity Democratic Headquarters 5257 0 Wa National Development Party 4676 0 Democratic Human Rights Party 4246 0 People's Democratic Party 4242 0 National Peace and Democracy Party 3988 0 Unity and Development Party 3656 0 Free People League of Burma 2959 0 Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (Original) 2882 0 Peasants' Development Party 2847 0 People's Volunteer Organisation 2696 0 Union for the Improvement of Burmese Women 2495 0 Patriotic Old Comrades' League 2435 1 All Burma National Progressive Democracy Party 2249 0 League of Democratic Allies 2114 0 Arakan Nationalities Democracy Party 2033 0 Patriotic Democratic Youth Front 1963 0 Rakhine National Humanitarian Development Organisation 1942 0 People's Peasants Union 1894 0 National Ethnic Reformation Party 1782 0 Democratic Allies' League 1619 0 Indigenous Collaboration Party 1241 0 Might of New Generation Youth Front 1224 0 Shan State Kachin Democratic Party 1197 0 United League of Democratic Parties 1174 0 United Trade Union Congress 1128 0 National Progressive Youth of Myanmar Naing Ngan 1013 0 National Peace Party 954 0 Leading Strength of National Realism Centre 928 0 Youths' Solidarity Front 860 0 Union People's Future and Democracy Party 848 0 All Burma Democratic People's Power Organisation 748 0 Democratic People's League 747 0 All Burma United Youths Organisation 640 0 Patriotic Youth Organisation 609 0 Union of Burma Unity Democracy League 604 0 United National Congress 575 0 Amyothar Party 523 0 Anti-Communist, Anti-Socialist, Anti-Totalitarian Free Democracy League 511 0 Union of Burma Democratic Front 414 0 Union of Kachin Youth 401 0 Democratic Labour Party 393 0 Shan National Democratic Development Party 366 0 National Politics Front (Youth) 354 0 Burma United Democratic Party 269 0 People's Power Party 158 0 Union Stability Party 86 0 People's Pioneer Party 70 0 Independents 152228 6 Vacant 7 1858918 20818313 Democratic Voice of Burma Aftermath Initially, the SLORC said it would honour the results of the election. However, the government, surprised at the outcome, later annulled the results and many candidates were arrested or went into exile.To stand and be counted: the suppression of Burma's members of Parliament (Bangkok: All Burma Students' Democratic Front, Documentation and Research Centre, 1998) Some later formed the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.Gravers Mikael Nationalism as political paranoia in Burma: an essay on the historical practice of power Taylor & Francis 1999 2 69 978-0-7007-0981-6 Two months after the election, the SLORC issued Order 1/90, explaining it had legitimacy to rule as it was recognised by the United Nations and individual countries, as well as ensuring it would prevent the break-up of the Union.Eur, 2003, p. 864. It required all parties to recognise and accept the Order, and many opposition figures who refused were arrested. References 1990s Myanmar Category:General elections in Myanmar General Category:Annulled elections Myanmar