Yangon (AsiaNews / Agencies) – If the upcoming November 8 general elections are "free and fair", the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) will win a majority, according to the leader and General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi. However, this depends on whether they are orderly and without incidents of fraud or undue pressure, she adds; because the path of reform and democratization in recent years is a source of "concern".
In an interview with AFP, just over two months before the elections, the Nobel Laureate – who cannot run for president because of a norm contra personam that excludes her from the race - is convinced that the NLD will win a large majority in Parliament. This is the first time the opposition party will contest an election since its victory in the 1990 elections (never recognized by the military dictatorship).
"Looking at the present executive," said the 70 year old Aung San Suu Kyi, "I can assure you that we can form a better government." However, the "Lady", who has spent 15 of the past 25 years under house arrest at the hands of the military dictatorship in power until 2010, does not hide the "major headache" of possible fraud and irregularities.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner is particularly concerned about the possible "use of religion for political purposes", at a time when Myanmar is marked by sectarian clashes and the growing influence of radical Buddhist movement.
Fears and doubts about the elections and about the real situation of the country also emerge from a recent joint investigation by the Faculty of Political Science of Yangon and Asia Barometer, a group based in Taiwan. The survey had over 200 questions and was conducted in 36 cities, including areas where ethnic minorities live.
The citizens have little or no confidence in some of the most important institutions of the country, including the police (only 23% said they had), the judiciary (26%) and the Election Commission (30%). If compared with nations in the region, data shows that the people of Burma has the least confidence in the police and judiciary. One in three people believe in the military and its role in the country.