PLAYERS AND ISSUES IN MYANMAR POLLS:
THE PLAYERS
- 91 parties running candidates
- election is two-horse race
- Suu Kyi's NLD has popular support across the board, in city and countryside, and is expected to win a strong plurality
- President Thein Sein and his USDP have a well-organised political machine with all the advantages of incumbency, support of many of the country's tycoons, and the opportunity to rig the vote if they so choose
- USDP has automatic 25 per cent of seats in parliament
- Parties representing various ethnic minorities likely to win seats in their home regions; the votes of their MPs will be in play when it comes time to select the president early next year
THE ISSUES
- Human Rights: New political prisoners have replaced those freed in mass releases, prior censorship has been replaced by lawsuits against the press, and liberalising the economy has failed to solve problems such as income inequality and land grabbing. The government has failed to stem violence against Muslim Rohingya minority, who are also denied citizenship
- Ethnic troubles: Despite ceasefires, ethnic minority guerilla groups continue to be a problem, especially the Kachin
