EU Observer monitors start of voting in Yangon.

• Report rights infringement
• published: 13 Nov 2015
• views: 8

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT EU Observer monitors start of voting in Yangon and says procedure appears to be 'reliable' though not free of flaws. SHOWS: YANGON, MYANMAR (NOVEMBER 8, 2015)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PEOPLE PREPARING TO VOTE 2. WOMAN PLACING BALLOT IN BOX 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) EU CHIEF OBSERVER ALEXANDER GRAF LAMBSDORFF SAYING: "I can say at this time, on the morning of election day, what we are observing is a procedure that looks as if it is rather reliable, it is not free of flaws or shortcomings, but we didn't expect that, but some of the things that have been discussed before do not seem to pose a great problem at this point in time, the voters list for example, we have not seen problems for example of identification of voters here in Yangon but perhaps in the countryside we will get a different kind of information and I will share that information with you as soon as I have it." 5. HAND PLACING BALLOT INTO BOX 6. PEOPLE QUEUING STORY: European Union election observers watched the start of voting at a polling station in Yangon on Sunday (November 8). They inspected ballot boxes before the polls opened at 6:00am (2330GMT) and watched election staff collect voter cards and hand out ballot papers. At the Golden Valley 2 Primary School 3 polling station, which is located in an affluent part of the city, things got off to a smooth start. "I can say at this time, on the morning of election day, what we are observing is a procedure that looks as if it is rather reliable, it is not free of flaws or shortcomings, but we didn't expect that, but some of the things that have been discussed before do not seem to pose a great problem at this point in time, the voters list for example, we have not seen problems for example of identification of voters here in Yangon but perhaps in the countryside we will get a different kind of information and I will share that information with you as soon as I have it," said Chief of the EU election observer mission Alexander Graff Lambsdorff. In the lead up to the elections, parties, candidates and voters complained of incomplete voter lists and also a lack of general information on the voting process. Election officials said they have been working hard to rectify the administrative hiccups and also to educate voters on what to expect at the polling station. Around 30 million people are registered to vote. A president will be selected from three candidates who will be put forth by the newly elected two houses of parliament and the military, which automatically gets 25 percent of parliament seats. The National League for Democracy (NLD) is set to do well in Sunday's poll. President Thein Sein said before the vote that the government and the military would accept the results and that the elections would be as free and fair as possible. Despite her popularity NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from becoming president by the constitution. However she has said that she would lead the country if her party wins, without elaborating on how this will be possible.