Yanogn, January (28)
On January 26, the military council enacted the Political Parties Registration Law, which includes provisions that automatically disqualify the National League for Democracy (NLD) from being a political party.
The law, which includes five chapters and 27 sections, was signed by the chairman of the military council, General Min Aung Hlaing, under Section 419 of the Constitution, and the law enacted under the former military dictator U Than Shwe is now repealed.
According to Section 10(e) of the regime’s Political Parties Registration Law, the applicant shall not be serving a prison term.
This clause was enacted under the rule of the former military dictator U Than Shwe and revoked in 2014 under the administration of U Thein Sein, but it has now been reinstated by General Min Aung Hlaing.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party, and other top party members were detained by the military council on February 1, 2021, when the military took power, accused of different charges, and given prison sentences.
Similarly, members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and elected parliamentarians are being detained and imprisoned by the military council on various charges until today.
Veteran politician U Pe Than pointed out that instead of formally disbanding the NLD, the military council enacted legislation to make the NLD party inconsistent with the party rules and automatically dissolve the party itself.
According to Section 7(b) of the Political Parties Registration Law, an insurgent organization or an organization and individuals that have been designated as those who are committing terrorist acts or those that have been declared unlawful associations under any existing law or those who are in contact with the said organizations or providing support to them either directly or indirectly shall not be granted registration as political parties.
Following the military takeover, the military council designated the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), a group of lawmakers from the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the 2020 election, as a terrorist organization.
In addition, the National Unity Government (NUG), which is comprised of the majority of the NLD members, has been declared a terrorist organization by the military council, but the NLD party has not yet been terminated as a political party.
U Bo Bo Oo, Vice Chairman of the NLD Party of Sanchaung Township, Yangon Region, noted that the lives of party members are currently in grave danger, and that all the actions of the military council since the coup are not illegal.
After the coup, the military council jailed NLD members and MPs on various charges. 1,169 NLD members were arrested, and 67 had died as of the end of October 2022.
The military council raided party headquarters and party branches about 120 times, and 274 party members’ properties and homes were sealed and confiscated, including those of 136 MPs.
As a result, on November 8, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party stated unequivocally that it will not accept the military council’s sham election.
Section 25 of the military council’s Political Parties Registration Law states that existing parties wishing to continue as political parties under this Law must apply to the Commission within 60 days of the Law’s promulgation. If no such application is made, the fact of being a political party shall be deemed to have been automatically invalidated.
News-Than Lwin Times