[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,paragraphs\/drupal.paragraphs.unpublished,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283103__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"283103","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/283103","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283103__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_6y7W-wuXolmUSSM_E41HS8j5g9ESO9HspZEmHz3ug3U.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283103__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283103__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E(Mandalay) \u2013 As November 8 election day approaches, questions about the integrity of the voter roll and balloting procedures are increasingly being asked in the Mandalay Region, one of the most populous in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-left embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--left\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/26477\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/default.aspx7_.jpeg?itok=gpGT6lOJ 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/default.aspx7_.jpeg?itok=NQffEwfP 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/default.aspx7_.jpeg?itok=NQffEwfP\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022580\u0022 alt=\u0022A woman holds a ballot slip and her national identity card before casting her vote at a polling station during by-elections in Burma on April 1, 2012.\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EA woman holds a ballot slip and her national identity card before casting her vote at a polling station during by-elections in Burma on April 1, 2012.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2012 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, historically strong in the division, alleged in late October that voter rolls were massively padded in two townships of Mandalay city. Its candidates and some non-party social activists allege that migrant workers and even foreigners who should not be allowed to vote in these constituencies are being set up by government authorities with illicit voter slips to cast ballots against the NLD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EConversely, NLD polling station agents also say they are worried that some voting places in urban areas where they insist the NLD\u2019s turnout will be high have been set up with too many voters, raising the prospect that not everyone will be able to cast ballots in the available time. Those NLD officials maintain that biased electoral officials want to discourage or somehow prevent party supporters from voting, despite legal guarantees that people who get to the booths on time will be able to vote, no matter how long the queues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EMembers of non-partisan Burmese poll-watch organizations also express seemingly contradictory misgivings. A number argue that the risk of something going wrong is greatest in Mandalay city, where not everybody knows everybody else, unlike in villages in the countryside. Others say it is precisely in the rural areas where pressures and schemes by biased local authorities and security forces could most likely have a negative impact. Some emphasize constituencies where the Burmese army has a large presence. The failure of election sub-commissions in Mandalay to make public the final data on voter rolls on time has escalated last-minute fears about potential cheating.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOthers point to the difficulties of separating fact from fiction, and fraud from foul-up, in an electoral environment like that in Burma, which lacks experience in holding credible elections, compounded by the fact that the Union Election Commission (UEC), including its subordinate local sub-commissions, clearly lack independence from dominant military authorities and the parties they favor. Hardly anybody in Mandalay believes these election management bodies will honestly investigate complaints about irregularities and worse. The reality is decades of authoritarian rule have bred a context of deep political cynicism and mistrust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022quote\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-paragraph embedded-entity-bundle-pullquote embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n \n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022pull-quote-block py-12 leading-tight max-w-xs mx-auto\u0022\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022pull-quote-block__quote md:text-2xl font-sans font-bold pl-10 md:pl-16 relative\u0022\u003E\n Others point to the difficulties of separating fact from fiction, and fraud from foul-up, in an electoral environment like that in Burma.... The reality is decades of authoritarian rule have bred a context of deep political cynicism and mistrust.\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022pull-quote-block__quote-icon text-gray-400 absolute top-0 left-0 w-6 md:w-10\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-quote-open\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022pull-quote-block__credit font-sans mt-6 pl-10 md:pl-16\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022pull-quote-block__author text-sm md:text-lg font-bold\u0022\u003E\n \n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022pull-quote-block__title text-xs md:text-sm\u0022\u003E\n \n \u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a member of one of the Burmese election watch organizations admitted yesterday amidst discussions of recent elections in neighboring countries, \u201cWe are not as experienced and sophisticated as our counterparts elsewhere, so our best scrutiny may not be as good as theirs.\u201d An official international observer posted to Mandalay similarly commented, \u201cIn other countries, we have a deeper store of knowledge about how the authorities have usually undermined election integrity, and we get more solid information from domestic groups. Although there is a lot of transparency in parts of the process here and a lot of enthusiasm among Burmese voters and NGOs, there are too many things that we just don\u2019t know for sure.\u201d Another added, \u201cWorst of all, if people don\u2019t trust the results, that increases the risk of post-election violence,\u201d a trepidation also voiced by many Burmese.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps this is not surprising in a country long run by the military where the possibility of significant changes in power relations are possible. But it doesn\u2019t change the fact that apprehension levels are high among those closest to the election process in Mandalay.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]