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Tale of Five Elections

Bawlakhe

A girl cycles past a USDP campaign billboard in Bawlakhe Township, Kayah State, on August 21. (Nyein Su Wai Kyaw Soe)
A girl cycles past a USDP campaign billboard in Bawlakhe Township, Kayah State, on August 21. (Nyein Su Wai Kyaw Soe | Frontier)

Bawlakhe Township: Poverty, patronage and the polls

A township in the low-lying, humid centre of Kayah State is a magnet for parties and candidates looking to splurge cash on a tiny electorate in exchange for an easy win.

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‘Forever green’: Kayah’s Bawlakhe Township beats back the red wave

Former Tatmadaw vice admiral U Soe Thane can take much of the credit for the USDP’s sweep of seats in the Kayah State township of Bawlakhe – one of the military-aligned party’s few wins on November 8.

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An elderly woman prays at a monastery in Ywathit village, Bawlakhe Township, on August 21. Campaigning in the township has been mostly tame, but some parties have begun accusing one another of unethical electoral tactics – including pressuring elderly voters casting advance votes in the villages to vote for particular candidates.

Parties trade barbs in battle for Bawlakhe

Rival parties competing in the central Kayah State township are accusing one another of dishonest tactics, and even potential voter fraud, ahead of Sunday’s election.

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Rural Bawlakhe Township under a monsoon sky. (Nyein Su Wai Kyaw Soe | Frontier)

The boss of Bawlakhe: In a Kayah township, one man outshines The Lady

The lavish spending of former naval commander U Soe Thane may keep Bawlakhe safe for the Union Solidarity and Development Party, and COVID-19 restrictions are making matters harder for competitors.

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Ei Ei Toe Lwin

Ei Ei Toe Lwin

Ei Ei Toe Lwin began working as a journalist in 2010 when she joined the Myanmar Times and has been reporting on Myanmar political affairs for around a decade. Prior to joining Frontier in July 2020 she was chief of staff of the English and Myanmar versions of the Myanmar Times.

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