Junta-appointed UEC approves Mro National Democracy Party’s registration

By Admin 04 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
4 July 2023, Sittwe

The junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) announced that it has approved the registrations of the Mro National Democracy Party (MNDP), becoming the fifth registered political party in Arakan State for the election being planned by Myanmar’s military regime.

The UEC announced on July 3 that the MNDP had been allowed to continue standing in accordance with Section 9 of the new Political Parties Registration Law.

“We have not yet held a meeting within the party, so the next steps are not certain. We will demand the protection of Mro ethnic rights,” said U San Tun, a member of the MNDP.

Six political parties including two regionally powerful parties — the Arakan National Party and Arakan Front Party (AFP) — have registered with the junta’s UEC. The ANP’s registration has not yet been approved by the UEC.

Political parties in Arakan State have said that the reason for registration is to continue standing as a political party representing their respective ethnic groups.

“If the MNDP is registered as a political party, I don’t think it will be effective for the Mro people. The MNDP registered as a political party only because it accepted the junta. In the past, the MNDP has not made any progress for Mro people,” said an ethnic Mro woman.

As of July 3, 50 pre-existing political parties have registered with the junta’s UEC. Of them, about 30 have been allowed to continue standing as political parties during the period from April 20 to July 3.

Min Aung Hlaing, who is also Myanmar’s self-appointed prime minister, said the regime will hold a free and fair multi-party democratic general election in Myanmar and will hand over power to the winning party in accordance with democratic standards, the junta-controlled Myanmar Alinn daily reported on June 16.

The regime has not yet declared a date for its proposed election. 

The Myanmar people are said to have little interest in the junta’s proposed poll and many oppose the planned election, saying it will be neither free nor fair.

Many political analysts have concluded that the odds of holding an election are small due to the current armed conflicts and political confusion across the country.