Villagers demand democracy in wards

Villagers demand democracy in wards

By  Aung Ye Thwin and Hlaing Kyaw Soe   |   Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Villagers in Myinmu township, Sagaing Region, are demanding democracy. They have been waiting more than three months for a response to their complaint that their administrator was not selected according to the Ward and Village-tract Administration Law.

The process began last December, when Padathtaine village selected U Kyaw Swe as their administrator, on the basis of votes cast by the heads of each 10-household group, and asked the township administrator to appoint him. But though local administrators have been duly appointed in the other 51 villages of Myinmu township, events in Padathtaine took a more complicated turn.
Complainants have now signed a petition setting out their grievance.

One of them, U Pho Pyar, told The Myanmar Times that the dispute arose after twice the required number of community leaders were selected to oversee the vote.

"The township administrator told the village to select five village elders [to manage the election] through the will of people. But the then-village administrator, U Zaw Myo Oo, secretly chose five people without consulting residents. At the same time, the village clerk, U Aung Kyaw Zaw, selected five elders through public consultation so that the village actually proposed 10 elders," he said.

U Pho Pyar said the township police officer sided with U Zaw Myo Oo and annulled the results,prompting the villagers to submit the complaint in March.

They say that U Zaw Myo Oo has been continuing to act as the village administrator.

Township administrator U Thein Zaw said he decided to annul the December 26, 2012, election and instead appoint a village administrator who met the necessary criteria because there was a "lack of unity" in the village.

"Village elders never responded to our invitations to resolve this problem through negotiation," he said. "And when the district administrator went to the village, U Kyaw Swe admitted that they were wrong. We will select a village administrator by vote according to the will of people." – Translated by Thit Lwin

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/06/26/villagers-demand-democracy-in-wards/