| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw / Assembly of the Union |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Amyotha Hluttaw / House of Nationalities |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Pyithu Hluttaw / House of Representatives
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
8 March 2010
|
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 168
appointed 56 |
| Constituencies |
- 12 multi-member constituencies for 168 seats |
| Voting system |
Majority:
Majority vote with a possible run-off election.
- Elections are held only in the constituencies where there are several candidates. Fresh elections will be organized in case the sole candidate in these constituencies dies.
- The Election Commission may decide not to hold elections in some areas within the constituencies where the situation does not permit it. It may also transfer the polling booth to secure places. However, the elections as a whole are deemed valid if 51% of the voters on the electoral roll turn out at the polls.
- Each voter casts one ballot for a candidate of his/her choice. The candidate with the highest number of valid votes is declared elected. In case of a tie, a run-off election will be held.
- Vacancies are filled through by-elections.
- Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- Citizenship of Myanmar and born of both parents who are citizens;
- Age: 18 years or over on election day.
Disqualifications:
- members of religious orders;
- persons serving prison terms;
- persons determined to be and declared of unsound mind by a competent court;
- persons who have not yet been declared free from insolvency;
- persons disqualified by election law. |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- Qualified voters
- Citizenship of Myanmar and born of both parents who are citizens
- Age: 30 years or over
- Residence in the country for at least 10 consecutive years prior to the election. The official period of stay in a foreign country with the permission of the State shall be counted as a residing period in the country.
Ineligibilities:
- Persons serving prison term or persons convicted of an offence,
- Persons of unsound mind
- Persons declared insolvent by a court
- Persons who owe allegiance to a foreign government, subjects of a foreign government, or citizens of a foreign country
- Persons who are entitled to enjoy the rights and privileges of subjects of a foreign government or citizens of a foreign country
- Persons working for an organization owned by a foreign country
- Persons working for an organization that abets the act of inciting, through speech or by issuing a declaration, the decision to vote or not based on religion for political purposes
- Members of a religious order
- Civil servants
- Persons working for State-owned companies
- Persons who have committed electoral offences. |
| Incompatibilities |
- Members of the other chamber or regional parliaments. |
| Candidacy requirements |
- Candidature submitted by political parties or independent candidates.
- Political parties participating in the elections have to pay 300,000 kyat (US$ 300) to register and 500,000 kyat (US$ 500) for each candidate.
Note:
Myanmar uses two exchange rates: the official rate, which is tied to the Special Drawing Right (SDR, a type of international monetary reserve currency, created by the IMF in 1969) and the free market rate. The equivalent in US$ above has been calculated by applying the free market rate. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
