Four Arakan State-based political parties register to contest junta-sponsored election

By Admin 22 Mar 2023

DMG Newsroom
22 March 2023, Sittwe

Four political parties in Arakan State have registered with the junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) for the regime-organised elections slated for later this year.

The Arakan National Party (ANP), Arakan Front Party (AFP), Rakhine State National Unity Party (RSUNP) and Khami National Development Party have registered with the junta’s election body in order to continue standing as political parties representing the people of Arakan State, said respective party officials.

The decision to compete in the planned poll is proving to be divisive, however.

“Local people were not interested in the junta-sponsored election and political parties registered to contest the election, and it became clear that they did not want [the opinion of] the Arakanese people,” said Ko Myo Lwin, a resident of Ann. “When the Arakanese people support the administration of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), the registration of political parties for the junta-organised election has greatly reduced the confidence of the Arakanese people.”

The Mro National Party will register with the junta’s election body on March 24 in order to continue standing as a political party representing the Mro people in Arakan State, said U Aye Tun, chairman of the party.

The Kaman National Development Party is holding a meeting to decide whether the party will contest the junta-sponsored election or not.

“We are holding a meeting and we can’t say exactly, because we haven’t made a decision about whether to register as a political party,” said U Tin Ngwe, vice chairman of the Kaman National Development Party.

According to a new law promulgated by Myanmar’s military regime, political parties must apply for registration within 60 days of the law going into effect if they want to continue to exist as a legal political party. The law states that if registration is not filed within 60 days, the political party is automatically dissolved.

“As for the parties in Arakan State, it seems that they are thinking from the middle of the scene so that they can move something for the party’s position and domestic politics, rather than whether it is good or bad to register to compete in the election,” said Ko Tun Kyi, a resident of Kyaukphyu.

The Political Parties Registration Law requires parties running nationally to recruit at least 100,000 members within 90 days of registration and have offices in at least half of Myanmar’s 330 townships within six months. They must also deposit K100 million with a state-owned bank. Parties contesting seats in one state or region must recruit at least 10,000 members, run offices in at least five townships, and deposit a minimum of K10 million in a state-owned bank.

• Small ethnic political parties in Arakan State say new registration law poses existential threat

The Arakan State-based Daingnet National Development Party will not register with the junta election body due to financial difficulties, U Aung Kyaw Zaw, chairman of the party, has told DMG.

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) has officially decided not to register for the junta-organised election, doing so at the political party’s central committee meeting on February 25, according to party officials.

Since February 1, 33 political parties have registered with the junta’s UEC; eight of them are contesting nationally and 25 parties are contesting in a single region or state, according to the regime-controlled election body.