The military junta which has ruled Burma for decades recently announced that multi-party general elections, the first since 1990, will be held on November 7. On the face of it, this news is welcome to those who favor global democracy. But when one gets down to the details, it quickly becomes clear that the so-called "elections" will be a complete sham.
First of all, no one with a criminal conviction is allowed to run for office. This instantly bars all of the prominent pro-democracy activists from participating (including Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the international face of the Burmese opposition), as they have all been arrested by the military government at some point or other. It also rules out members of religious orders, who have been at the forefront of opposition to the Burmese military regime.
This is all bad enough, but we can expect matters to be much worse. If their past behavior is any guide, the military junta will unleash their security forces to intimidate and harass anyone who dares to voice their opposition to the regime. Most of the votes cast by freedom-loving people are likely to simply be "lost".
Besides, the Burmese constitution reserves a quarter of the seats in its parliament for the military, while requiring a three-quarters majority to amend the constitution. This mean that, even if the upcoming elections were free and fair (which they won't be), the military would still be able to block any change in the country's constitution, thus perpetuating their hold on power.
The military junta ruling Burma is one of the most despicable regimes in the world today, and this announced election is unlikely to change a thing.
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