EU will not oversee elections in Myanmar -- official

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- European Union Special Representative for Human Rights Kajsa Ollongren declared on Friday the EU would not send observers to Myanmar to oversee scheduled general elections Ollongren, cited by the Malaysian media, affirmed that no European observers would supervise the polls, set to be organized by the Myanmar government on December 28, urging member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to exert pressures to "alter the political conditions" in this regional country.
The European bloc has decided to abstain from dispatching a mission to observe the elections, she said, charging that "the method of arranging the elections show that the polls would neither be free nor credible," said Ollongren, who was in Malaysia partaking in preparations for the 47th ASEAN Summit due in Kuala Lumpur on October 26-28.
Instability in Myanmar renders it a source of instability for the region, thus this issue should be on top of ASEAN's priorities, Ollongren said.
Her remarks coincided with predictions that ASEAN, during the forthcoming summit, would decide to send observers to Myanmar to oversee the polls.
It is controversial whether balloting will be held in regions controlled by pro-democracy groups forces of racial minorities that have closed ranks in the face of the ruling military junta.
The country witnessed a military coup in 2021 that led to civil war fares. (end) aib.rk