India emphasizes on restoration of democracy in Myanmar, says free and inclusive elections are necessary

India-Myanmar Relations: India has once again reiterated its support for the restoration of the democratic process and free, fair and inclusive elections in Myanmar. During the weekly media briefing held in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India stands firmly in favor of peace, stability and return of normalcy in Myanmar.

Randhir Jaiswal said that the election process in Myanmar is progressing and India supports elections that ensure participation of all stakeholders. He clarified that India is in favor of democratic transition and believes that strengthening the democratic system is very important for lasting peace and development in any country.

Dates for phases to be announced later

When asked by the media whether India would send observers for the elections to be held in Myanmar, the spokesperson said that at present no concrete information is available on this subject. He also added that if any decision is taken in this regard, the information will be shared in due course of time.

It is noteworthy that the Central Election Commission of Myanmar had announced in the month of August that the first phase of general elections in the country will be held on December 28. The dates for subsequent phases will be announced later. The announcement came as Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of Myanmar’s State Security and Peace Commission, indicated in June that elections would be held between December and January next year.

High level contacts between the two countries

Talking about relations between India and Myanmar, high level contacts have been seen between the two countries in recent months. On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China. In this meeting, India-Myanmar bilateral relations were comprehensively reviewed and important issues like trade, development partnership, defense and security cooperation and border management were discussed.

support the peace process

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s commitment to support Myanmar’s development needs. He said that India considers Myanmar an important partner under the ‘Neighborhood First’, ‘Act East’ and ‘Indo-Pacific’ policies. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Modi expressed hope that the elections to be held in Myanmar will be fair, transparent and inclusive, ensuring participation of all stakeholders.

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The Prime Minister also underlined that India supports a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process. He believes that peaceful dialogue and consultation is the only path towards a lasting solution and stability in Myanmar.