Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has slammed UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari’s mission to Burma as a failure.
In a public statement released on Friday, the NLD said that although Gambari came to Burma representing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the mission had been unsuccessful.

The statement said that, during his most recent trip, the UN envoy met mostly with people who were chosen by the ruling junta.

“Mr Gambari has made six visits to Burma, but nothing has happened. We consider it a waste of time,” NLD spokesman Win Naing told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

Gambari visited Burma from August 18-23 but failed to meet with leaders of the junta or Aung San Suu Kyi, who repeatedly canceled meetings with him.

Observers have wondered aloud whether Suu Kyi has grown frustrated by the inaction of the world body.

The NLD statement also said that during previous meetings between the NLD and Gambari, the opposition party had made clear that unless the 1990 election results were honored, it could not accept another election in 2010 as proposed by the military junta.

Despite the NLD’s stand, the special envoy repeatedly told its representatives to endorse the 2010 election, promising that the UN would ensure the election was “free and fair,” the NLD statement said.

In the general election of 1990, the NLD, led by Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, won more than 60 percent of popular votes and as much as 80 percent of the seats.

Also on Friday, state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported that the UN, Asean, the international community and regional organizations had expressed their support for the junta’s “seven-step roadmap” and had urged the Burmese regime to hold free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, NLD spokesman Nyan Win told The Irrawaddy that Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Kyi Win, had repeatedly attempted to meet with Suu Kyi in recent days, but the Burmese authorities had denied the lawyer’s request.