Vice Chair of Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley on the Announcement of an Election Date in Burma

By US Congressman Joseph Crowley • July 8, 2015

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus and a leader in the House of Representatives on Burma, released the statement below on the announcement by Burma’s leaders that general elections will be held on November 8:

“The upcoming elections present Burma’s leaders with an opportunity to live up to the promise of democratic reform. Unfortunately, the recent decisions by the Burmese military to uphold its undemocratic veto power in the parliament and maintain the arbitrary ban on the most prominent opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from serving as president have raised a red flag on the process. Burma’s military has in effect created an entirely separate ballot box in which they reserve every single vote for a constitutional veto-wielding bloc in parliament, allowing them to maintain a grip on power. These issues damage the freeness, fairness, and credibility of the election and I urge that they be quickly addressed.”

Congressman Crowley is the nine-term representative from the 14th Congressional District of New York, which includes sections of Queens and the Bronx. He is a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and serves as Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus in the House of Representatives.

Tags: 2015 Elections, ASEAN, Aung San Suu Kyi, US Congressman Joseph Crowley

This post is in: Press Release

Vice Chair of Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley on the Announcement of an Election Date in Burma

About Burma Partnership

Spotlight

Campaigns