CNI Articles

By- Chit Min Tun

19 May 2025

There are over 190 countries in the world, some hold elections and some do not. Similarly, there are countries with political parties and some do not. 
For example, countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Brunei do not hold elections and do not have political parties.

However, most countries have elections and political parties. So in countries that have elections, what kind of conditions do their citizens analyze before they vote? After studying how they vote, in Myanmar, too, a voter should consider what fundamental reasons they should vote for.

While the SAC is preparing to hold elections in Myanmar in December 2025 and January 2026, on the other hand, armed opposition groups are preparing to prevent the elections from being held. Myanmar citizens are caught between two situations: whether to support holding elections or whether to support blocking elections.

Therefore, rather than discussing whether or not an election will take place, I would like to focus on the factors that a voter should consider and decide if an election were to be held in a country.

Party policies and objectives
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 It is necessary to carefully study the policies of the parties on health, education, economy, social affairs, foreign affairs, democracy, federal affairs, peace, youth affairs, etc. It is also necessary to study whether they have such policies.

You should also consider whether these policies are consistent with your beliefs and values.

You should also examine whether the party's goals are realistic and beneficial to the country.

The party's capabilities and experience
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 If the party had been in government before, we must study what kind of performance it had shown, how it had treated the public, whether it had been able to develop the country, whether the citizens had become poor and they had become rich, etc. We must also study and consider these situations.

Then, we must consider whether the party's leadership and members are qualified (meaning both politically and practically) and capable of working effectively for the country.

Similarly, whether the party's organizational structure and operations are stable and effective must be considered.

Candidate's qualifications and character
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 It is necessary to study the educational qualifications, work experience, political knowledge, and social activities of the candidate running in your constituency.

We must consider whether the candidate is a person of good character and morals who can represent the people. We must consider whether he or she is capable of doing one thing during the campaign and another thing when he or she becomes an MP.

Then, it is necessary to analyze and examine whether the candidate's speech and actions are credible.

If the election is held using the party list system, voters will no longer have the opportunity to know the candidate and will only have to vote for the party. Therefore, they should consider whether the party is a party with factional politics or patron-clientelism before choosing whether to vote or not.

Similarly, we need to consider whether it is a party that is increasingly centralized or a party that allows candidates to freely serve the public interest. Furthermore, when party interests and public interests clash, we need to look at whether the party is protecting party interests or the party is protecting the public interest.

Those who provide funds for the party and Party funding
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 You should consider whether to vote or not by knowing who supports the party, who controls it behind the scenes, who it works for, and how its funds are managed.

It is necessary to check whether the party's funding is transparent. It should not be forgotten that some people use the party to seek personal gain and use their influence unscrupulously to obtain funds.

Then, one should consider whether the interests of the party's supporters and the forces behind it have an influence on the party's policies.

Information acquisition and critical thinking skills
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 Information about parties and candidates can be obtained from official sources and impartial news outlets.

Then, during the campaign, it is necessary to listen carefully to their statements and use the information they provide to make decisions using common sense and reason.

It is also necessary to monitor the activities and statements of parties and candidates on social media (Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Instagram).

Your interests and the future of the country
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 One should decide whether to vote for a party only after considering their personal interests as well as whether it can contribute to the long-term development and future of the country.

Furthermore, we must consider which party's policies are best for the country.

The party that the people of Myanmar currently need is (1) a party that can stop the civil war, (2) a party that can bring about internal peace, (3) a party that can help reverse the economic downturn, (4) a party that can strengthen the democratic system, (5) a party that can lead the construction of a federal union, (6) a party that can restore the disintegration of national unity, and a party that can bring the education system up to international standards. 
In addition, (7) a party that can achieve equality for citizens, (8) a party that can protect the people from troubles caused by those in power, (9) a party that can bring health services up to international standards, (10) a party that can create job opportunities for the youth, (11) a party that can keep up with modern technology, (12) a party that is willing to empower the youth, (13) a party that can reform the highly centralized government system, (14) A party that can change to become a government that is free from corruption and can provide smooth public services; (15) A party that can properly correct the legal system that is based on money; and (16) A party that has a high understanding of media relations and media freedom.

Therefore, voters need to make sure their votes are the right choice. If they make the wrong choice, they will have to survive within the system that has not been reformed.

The government you choose will be born from the votes you cast. Therefore, you need to have a wealth of political knowledge. We need the right voters to get rid of the parties and parliamentarians who are in power and corrupt that do not protect the interests of the country and the people.

Only then will Myanmar be able to stand as a clean country and become a socio-economically prosperous country. Whether that situation will be reached or not will only depend on the decision of the voters.