Myanmar's election campaign picks up momentum

YANGON - Myanmar's nationwide election campaign is picking up momentum as political parties began campaigning Tuesday, two months before the upcoming general election scheduled for Nov 8.

The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) kicked off its campaign by erecting a huge poster featuring President U Thein Sein's photo in front of the party's Yangon region office. U Thein Sein, who is USDP original chairman, is now president of the current government formed through the 2010 election.

With a slogan "Continue to strive for socio-economic development of the people," the USDP is carrying out its campaign across the country.

Vowing to accept people's decision to bring about change, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) also kicked off its election campaign in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay, with cars carrying posters and placards which read "Vote NLD for genuine change."

NLD Chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi, in her message for the launch of election campaign, described the upcoming general election as a crucial turning point of the country, calling on people to vote on the election day and not to lose the right to establish a genuine federal union through election.

Under the arrangement of the Union Election Commission (UEC), political parties are to broadcast through the state-operated Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) their party polices, political stance and objectives of entering the election.

A 15-minute radio and TV campaigning is being allowed twice for each political party on a rotational basis until Nov 6, two days before the planned election.

The election commission has designated 1,171 constituencies for the vote at four levels of the parliament across the country with 330 constituencies for the Lower House, 168 for the Upper House, 644 for the Region or State Parliament and 29 for national race representatives.

According to preliminary figures of the UEC, a total of 6,189 qualified candidates will run the upcoming general election.