SYDNEY: Australia on Sunday said it was closely monitoring elections in Myanmar and could ease sanctions if the vote is judged to be free and fair.
Canberra has sent a team of five observers to track the by-elections where democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi is running for office for the first time after being locked up by the junta for most of the past 22 years.
The polls were marred somewhat by allegations of ballot-tampering, notably that wax had been put over the check box for the National League for Democracy (NLD) that could be rubbed off later to cancel the vote.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr said he hoped any irregularities were minor.
"We note the comments of Aung San Suu Kyi that there have been irregularities," he told reporters.
"We're going to speak to her, we're going to speak to other figures in opposition about those irregularities.
"But it is clearly in the interest of Thein Sein, the country's president, to get international recognition for the modernisation of Burma," he added, referring to Myanmar's former name.
If the progress was genuine, Australia would be prepared to ease sanctions on the country, Carr said.
"If the elections are acceptable, and this is the assessment of independent observers and opposition parties including Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, then Australia will be prepared to ease sanctions," he said.
Sanctions include bans on members of the government receiving Australian visas or being able to engage in transactions with Australian financial institutions. Australia also has a ban on military cooperation.
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