Burmese general election, 1947

Burmese general election, 1947
210 seats to the Constituent Assembly; 106 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	49.8%
Premier before election; Aung San ; AFPFL	Prime Minister-elect; U Nu ; AFPFL

Last updated March 17, 2019

General elections were held in Burma on 9 April 1947 to form the basis of a constituent assembly that would design a constitution once independence from the United Kingdom had been achieved.^[1] They were the first elections in Burma since its separation from India under the British Raj.^[2] Voter turnout was 49.8%.^[3] However, Aung San was assassinated three months later, resulting in U Nu becoming the first Prime Minister of Burma.

A constituent assembly or constitutional assembly is a body or assembly of popularly elected representatives composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitutional-type document. The constituent assembly is a subset of a constitutional convention elected entirely by popular vote; that is, all constituent assemblies are constitutional conventions, but a constitutional convention is not necessarily a constituent assembly. As the fundamental document constituting a state, a constitution cannot normally be modified or amended by the state's normal legislative procedures; instead a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly, the rules for which are normally laid down in the constitution, must be set up. A constituent assembly is usually set up for its specific purpose, which it carries out in a relatively short time, after which the assembly is dissolved. A constituent assembly is a form of representative democracy.

The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but more commonly known as the UK or Britain, is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

India, also known as the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and with more than 1.3 billion people, it is the second most populous country as well as the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Background

The elections were among a number of provisions agreed on 27 January 1947 between Burmese nationalist Aung San on a visit to London and British Prime Minister Clement Attlee guaranteeing Burma's independence from the UK within a year.^[4]

Bogyoke Aung San served as the 5th Premier of the British Crown Colony of Burma from 1946 to 1947. Initially he was a communist and later a social democratic politician. He was known as a revolutionary, nationalist, and as the founder of the Tatmadaw, and is considered the Father of the Nation of modern-day Myanmar. He was one of the founders of the Communist Party of Burma.

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km²) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister directs both the executive and the legislature, and together with their Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Monarch, to Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate. The office of Prime Minister is one of the Great Offices of State. The current holder of the office, Theresa May, leader of the Conservative Party, was appointed by the Queen on 13 July 2016.

Campaign

In 56 non-communal constituencies, candidates from the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) ran unopposed. U Saw, leader of the Patriot's Party, accused the AFPFL of intimidation and corruption during the election campaign and boycotted the election, as did Ba Sein and his party, accusing the AFPFL of being a "stooges" of British imperialism.^[5]^[6] Reasons given for the low turnout included the instability left by the Japanese occupation of Burma and the struggle for independence.^[1] Other candidates in the election included a few independents and communists.^[7] The election was certified as free and fair.^[2]

The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, or hpa hsa pa la (ဖဆပလ) by its Burmese acronym, was the main political alliance in Burma from 1945 until 1958. It was founded by the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) led by Thakin Soe, the Burma National Army (BNA) led by Aung San, and the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) at a meeting held between 1–3 March 1945 as a reorganised version of the Anti-Fascist Organisation (AFO), formed to resist the Japanese occupation. The new organisation aimed to resist the Japanese occupation and achieve independence.

U Saw, also known as Galon U Saw, was a leading Burmese politician and the Prime Minister of British Burma during the colonial era before the Second World War. He is also known for his role in the assassination of Burma's national hero Aung San and other independence leaders in July 1947, only months before Burma gained independence from Britain in January 1948. He was executed by hanging for this assassination.

The Patriot's Party was a nationalist political party in Burma led by U Saw.

Results

Turnout was generally low, around 50% in contested constituencies.^[1]

Party	Votes	%	Seats
Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League	1,755,000		173
Communist Party of Burma	126,000		7
Karen Youth Organisation	109,000		19
Independent Karen			5
Anglo-Burmese			4
Independents			2
Invalid/blank votes		–	–
Total		100	210
Registered voters/turnout		49.8	–
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

On 19 July 1947, Aung San was assassinated along with six other members of the party and the leadership of the AFPFL was taken over by U Nu.^[8] A constitution was approved on 24 September 1947 and independence granted on 4 January 1948.^[2]

Nu, known honorifically as U Nu or Thakin Nu, was a leading Burmese statesman, politician, nationalist, and political figure of the 20th century. He was the first Prime Minister of Burma under the provisions of the 1947 Constitution of the Union of Burma, from 4 January 1948 to 12 June 1956, again from 28 February 1957 to 28 October 1958, and finally from 4 April 1960 to 2 March 1962.

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References

1 2 3 Rotberg, Robert I. (1998). Burma: prospects for a democratic future (2nd ed.). Brookings Institution Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8157-7582-9.
1 2 3 Saffin, Janelle (2000). "Burma's Election and Constitutional History: A Snapshot". Legal Issues on Burma Journal. Burma Lawyers' Council. 7.
↑ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p610 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
↑ Oṅ, Chan; Silverstein, Josef (1993). The political legacy of Aung San. SEAP Publications. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-87727-128-4.
↑ A.A.P. (April 9, 1947). "Burmese go to the polls, boycotts by most parties". The Sydney Morning Herald .
↑ Appleton, G. (1947). "Burma Two Years After Liberation". International Affairs. Blackwell Publishing. 23 (4): 510–521. JSTOR 3016561.
↑ Hendershot, Clarence (1947). "Burma Compromise". Far Eastern Survey. Institute of Pacific Relations. 16 (12): 133–138. doi:10.1525/as.1947.16.12.01p0193t.
↑ Morse, Erik A.; Mitchell, Ronald K. (2006). Cases in entrepreneurship: the venture creation process. SAGE. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4129-0976-1.

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[rob-1] 1 2 3 Rotberg, Robert I. (1998). Burma: prospects for a democratic future (2nd ed.). Brookings Institution Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8157-7582-9.

[libj-2] 1 2 3 Saffin, Janelle (2000). "Burma's Election and Constitutional History: A Snapshot". Legal Issues on Burma Journal. Burma Lawyers' Council. 7.

[3] Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p610 ISBN 0-19-924958-X

[4] Oṅ, Chan; Silverstein, Josef (1993). The political legacy of Aung San. SEAP Publications. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-87727-128-4.

[5] A.A.P. (April 9, 1947). "Burmese go to the polls, boycotts by most parties". The Sydney Morning Herald .

[apple-6] Appleton, G. (1947). "Burma Two Years After Liberation". International Affairs. Blackwell Publishing. 23 (4): 510–521. JSTOR 3016561.

[7] Hendershot, Clarence (1947). "Burma Compromise". Far Eastern Survey. Institute of Pacific Relations. 16 (12): 133–138. doi:10.1525/as.1947.16.12.01p0193t.

[8] Morse, Erik A.; Mitchell, Ronald K. (2006). Cases in entrepreneurship: the venture creation process. SAGE. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4129-0976-1.

v t e Elections and referendums in Myanmar
General elections	1922 1925 1928 1932 1936 1947 1951–52 1956 1960 1974 1978 1981 1985 1990 2010 2015
By-elections	2012 2017
Referendums	1973 2008