Defeated Pro-Government Party Calls Myanmar Elections a Fraud

Myanmar’s pro-government party, humiliated by an opposition landslide in last month’s army-run elections, has protested that the National League for Democracy won by fraud, diplomats said Friday.

They said the complaint, lodged by the National Unity Party (NUP) with the Election Commission on Thursday, has added to growing doubts about whether the military government of Myanmar, formerly Burma, would accept the ballot results and step down.

“It’s just not clear whether this is sour grapes or some evil dark plan,” said one diplomat contacted by telephone. “But it helps to confuse an already confused situation.”

The army, which has controlled the government since crushing street protests in 1988, had pledged to hand power to the election winners.

But since the May 27 vote, it has hinted at delays in the transfer and said nothing about the future of detained opposition leaders.

NUP, the political successor to the Burma Socialist Program Party, which ruled the country during 28 years of isolation and rigid state control, has so far won only six seats, compared to 329 for the National League for Democracy.

Diplomats said it was unclear whether the NUP complaint was sanctioned by the army. A text of the complaint, which detailed alleged election fraud in several constituencies, has not been carried in the official media.