Political parties falling short of registration requirements in Arakan State: UEC

By Admin 21 Sep 2023

DMG Newsroom
21 September 2023, Sittwe
 
The Arakan State Election Commission said political parties in Arakan State approved for registration have members that do not meet the requirements.
 
Under the Political Parties Registration Law promulgated by the regime earlier this year, parties running nationally must recruit at least 100,000 members within 90 days of registration, and parties contesting only in a specific region or state are required to recruit 1,000 members.
 
“The party member lists submitted by approved parties do not match our lists. We will have a check,” said officer U Thurein Htut of the Arakan State Election Commission.
 
The commission and party officials are set to meet on September 26 to discuss the matter.
 
Six parties based in Arakan State have applied for registration with the junta-appointed UEC. The Arakan National Party, Arakan Front Party, Rakhine National Unity Party, Khami National Development Party, Mro Ethnic Party and Mro National Development Party have had their registrations approved by the junta’s election body.
 
The chairman of the Mro Ethnic Party, U Aye Tun, said: “The commission has informed us that IDs of some party members in the list submitted by us do not match.”
 
“The commission has summoned a meeting to check the names and ID cards of party members that do not match,” said U Aye Kyaing, chairman of the Rakhine National Unity Party. “We are thoroughly reviewing our party member list to make sure there is no mistake.”
 
The regime has yet to specify a date for the election it has proposed, but junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has said the poll will be held only after the nationwide population census planned for October 2024.

Caption: Arakan State Election Commission office pictured in 2020.