Burma’s Government-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) has called for successful holding of “free and fair election without any mistake” ahead of the multi-party general election set for Nov. 7, an official daily reported on September 2.

In a coordination meeting with secretaries of Region/State/District Election commissions at its office in Naypyitaw, on September 1, the UEC chairman Thein Soe stressed the need to prepare the voting roll and list of candidates and constituencies, said the New Light of Myanmar.

He urged all the officials concerned to abide by the electoral laws prescribed in carrying out the tasks. According to Thein Soe, at least five polling booths for each constituency will be set up to enable voters to cast their votes in time.

On August 30 the UEC closed enlisting of candidates from political parties to contest in the election.

According to the UEC, the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by Prime Minister Thein Sein, is fielding 1,163 candidates, pro-junta National Unity Party (NUP) 994, a splinter faction from the NLD – National Democratic Force (NDF) 160, Shan Nationals Democratic Party (SNDP) 157, Democratic Party Myanmar (DPM) 49, the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP)  45, Chin Progressive Party (CPP) 39 and the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMRDP) 35.

The UEC has announced that registered political parties have to submit a list of candidates between September 16 and 30.

Most important criticism by the United States and the European Union is the exclusion of the key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. As a charismatic leader of the NLD, she won the last election in 1990 by a landslide vote.  However, the generals declined handing over power to her.

Election laws enacted by the generals earlier this year disallow people with prison or criminal records, including prisoners of conscience, from running for office.

Meanwhile, Burma’s incumbent Prime Minister Thein Sein, who also head of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), sent a directive speech to ministries, universities and colleges, and army battalions, asking them to vote for the USDP and no-one else in the Nov. 7 voting. Thein Sein’s pressure to vote for the USDP extends to government employees and their families, who are also being told to cast their vote for the regime-backed party.

It means the junta is breaking its own law – Political Parties Registration Law (PPRL) – that prohibits any party from using state-owned property and funds for electioneering.