ANP meets to discuss party vacancies, next steps

By DMG 14 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
14 May 2022, Gwa 

An Arakan National Party (ANP) central committee meeting was held in Gwa Township, Arakan State, from May 12-13 to discuss internal affairs and strengthening the influential Arakanese political party. 

Among other topics on the agenda, top party leaders discussed ways to fill gaps left by the resignation of ANP Central Executive Committee (CEC) members, party officials told DMG.  

“We are holding a meeting to reform the party. Central committee members and CEC [members] have resigned from the ANP. The meeting was held to discuss how to move forward to strengthen such weaknesses,” said U Khaing Moe Tun, a member of the ANP’s CEC.  

He said top leaders and members of the executive committee had been in talks to strengthen the party.  

Since the military coup in February 2021, some senior ANP leaders have resigned from the party for a variety of reasons, leaving its leadership ranks depleted. 

Among those who resigned from the ANP were Daw Aye Nu Sein, a member of the State Administration Council, and U Oo Hla Saw, who is currently serving as a political leader in the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political wing of the Arakan Army (AA). In addition, U Pe Than, an Arakanese veteran politician, also resigned from the party voluntarily. 

The ANP will continue to be staffed by qualified people from within the party, without resorting to outside recruits, according to the party’s CEC. 

“The ANP will work to fill the vacancies in the CEC,” U Phoe San, another member of the ANP CEC, told DMG. 

The ANP was formed in 2014 and is widely considered to be the most powerful Arakanese political party, after winning the most seats in Arakan State in Myanmar’s past two general elections.