ALD will not attend meeting of political parties with UEC

By DMG 20 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
20 May 2021, Sittwe 

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) will not attend the second meeting of the junta-reconstituted Union Election Commission (UEC) with registered political parties. 

U Hla Myint, spokesperson for the ALD, said the ALD will not attend any meeting related to the State Administration Council, as Myanmar’s military regime refers to itself. 

“We have previously said that we would not attend the UEC meeting with political parties. We did not attend the previous meeting. So, we will not attend the second meeting either,” he said. 

The UEC will hold its second meeting with political parties on May 21, and a party chair, secretary or executive from each participating party will attend. 

The new UEC held its first meeting with political parties on February 26, just shy of a month after the military seized power in a February 1 coup. The Arakan National Party and Arakan Front Party, two other major Arakan State-based parties, attended that meeting. 

However, the ANP has told local media that it will not attend the second meeting. 

DMG phoned ANP Chair U Thar Tun Hla and Secretary U Khaing Pyae Soe seeking comment on the decision not to attend the UEC meeting, but they could not be reached. 

U Pe Than, a member of the ANP’s Steering Committee for Policy Affairs, said: “I heard a coordination meeting was held. But I did not attend the meeting.” 

AFP leader Dr. Aye Maung has said the party will attend Friday’s meeting. 

The junta has promised to hold new elections at an unspecified future date, alleging that Myanmar’s 2020 general election was marred by widespread voting fraud. Those claims were rejected by a major regional elections monitor, the Asian Network for Free Elections, earlier this week.