Commission chairman Thein Soe told a press conference it was not necessary to grant visas to outside journalists because foreign media companies already have accredited local reporters working for them within the country, Reuters Africa reported.
"Concerning the journalists, there are resident representatives of the international news agencies in our country, and press statements will be released in a timely manner about the elections. So there is no need to allow foreign reporters to cover the elections," Soe reportedly told the conference.
He added that election laws would also mean that reporters, as well as other 'outsiders', will not be permitted to enter polling stations and take photographs on the 7 November poll, "to enable voters to vote in privacy", Associated Press reports.
According to Reuters Africa there are 25 officially registered 'foreign correspondents' in Burma, also known as Myanmar, working for 17 foreign news outlets.
The last election in Burma was in 1990 when foreign media were allowed in to report on the events. It was won by the opposition party led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, but the result was not recognised by the military, the AP report adds.
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