ANP accepts rival party’s offer to discuss Arakan State politics

By Khaing Roe La 05 Mar 2020

Khaing Roe La/DMG
March 5, Sittwe

The Arakan National Party (ANP) has accepted an offer from the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) to discuss “the current Arakan political situation”, according to an ALD representative.

The meeting will be held on March 8 in Yangon. The Arakan Front Party (AFP) has also been invited to the dialogue.

“The discussion will be about the current Arakan political situation. We will know at the event what topics will be discussed,” ALD spokesperson U Mya Thar said.

ANP spokesperson Daw Aye Nu Sein said her party would participate in the talks even though the parameters of the discussion were not yet known.

“We have received an invitation. The party has decided to send a representative,” she said.

AFP vice chairperson U Kyaw Lwin confirmed that he was invited to join the event but did not say whether or not he or another party representative would attend.

The ANP was formed in 2014 by a merger of two parties, the ALD and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP). The ANP subsequently received the most votes in Arakan State in Myanmar’s 2015 general election.

But after some top former ALD leaders were removed in intra-party feuding after the election, the ALD was re-established in 2017.

Similarly, some who were removed or resigned from the ANP formed the AFP, including former ANP former chairman Dr. Aye Maung. His son, Arakan State Hluttaw lawmaker U Tin Maung Win, is leading the party together with a cadre of Dr. Aye Maung’s supporters.

It remains unclear whether voting in this year’s general election will be given the green light to proceed in some parts of Arakan State due to ongoing armed conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA).