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8th Annivefsary of May Election (r)



NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA

Statement on Occasion of 8th Anniversary of May 1990 Election

1. Bowing our head in  respect and honor to the students, Buddhist monks,
the ordinary people and the political activists, who have sacrificed their
lives in the struggle for democracy, and to the political leaders who, in
the various prisons and convict labor camps of the SPDC, have been
subjected to various forms of inhuman treatment and torture, and to the
voters who have cast their honest vote for democracy - we issue this
statement on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of  May 27, 1990
multi-party democratic election.
2. The May 27, 1990, multi-party democratic election was held for the
election of members of the people's parliament, which was to exercise the
legislative, executive and judicial powers. In the Election Law issued by
the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) as Declaration No.
14/89, dated May 31, 1989, Article 2 (a) in Chapter (1) said " Parliament
means the People's Parliament," and Article (3) in Chapter (2) said, " the
Parliament shall be formed of  members elected in the various
constituencies, in accordance with this law." In addition, in Paragraph
(12) of the SLORC Declaration No. 1/90, it was stated that, " the SLORC
shall undertake the convening and formation of the Parliament, pursuant to
the provisions of  Article (3) of the Election Law." Though it has been 8
years since the election was held, the SLORC/ SPDC have turned a blind eye
to the declarations and decrees, they themselves have issued. They reneged
on the promises they have made , time and again, to the people and continue
to refuse to recognize the election results.
3. Not only have the SLORC/SPDC refused to recognize the election results,
but they have also been trying to annul them. One of their attempts to
annul the election results has been their National Convention, which, they
said, was  organized, for the drafting of  a state constitution. They have
been holding, off and on, the meetings of their National Convention since
January 9, 1993. Just as it is not the responsibility of the SLORC/SPDC to
draft a constitution, which is immensely important for the country, a
constitution drafted by them, who have usurped the state power by force of
arms, can never represent the will of the people. Following the model of
the Indonesian constitution, the constitution drafted by the SLORC/SPDC
would only serve the interest of the military dictatorship. The
representatives of the people are the only ones who have the main
responsibility to draft a state constitution.
4. In accordance with Article (41)  (c), of the Election Law,  the Election
Commission has officially sent letters informing the members of
parliament-elect that they have been duly elected.  Moreover, they have
been recognized and mentioned, as members of parliament-elect, in the Burma
Gazette, for the information of the whole wide world. Therefore, as the
parliament has never been convened even when the 8th anniversary of May
1990 election has arrived, the term of office of the members of
parliament-elect as well as the election results, remain official and
valid, up to this day.
5. Though the Election Commission has performed most of  the work related
to the election, it still has to submit its final report, even though a
period of more than 5 years has elapsed., since the day the election was
held. 
6. Up to this day, for nearly a decade, the SLORC/SPDC have been repressing
with the intimidation, insult, arrest, framed-up charges and imprisonment
of the leaders and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD),
which has been existing as a legally constituted political party since
August 27, 1988, in accordance with Political Party Registration Act No.
4/88. Though they have not announced it, the SLORC/SPDC have imposed severe
 constraint upon the national leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, like in the
case of house arrest, by various restrictions. Currently, the SPDC has been
relentlessly obstructing the NLD's arrangement to celebrate the 8th
anniversary of the election.
7. In conclusion, on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of May 1990
multi-party democratic election, we would like to pledge that we will
struggle on, bearing the will of the people as sacred truth, until the
movement for democracy achieves victory. In accordance with the need of the
country as mentioned above, we solemnly call upon the SPDC military clique:
(a) To convene the Parliament at the earliest date;
(b) To abolish the SLORC/SPDC National Convention;
(c) To immediately cease the repression of the NLD.

May 27, 1998