Nay Pyi Taw, March (9)
Up to 17 political parties have submitted applications to the junta-established Union Election Commission (UEC) for party establishment and registration rights, according to the military-run propaganda newspaper.
Six parties have submitted applications so far under Section 3 of the Political Parties Registration Law, while 11 parties are under Section 25 of the same law.
Five of these 17 parties will organize the entire union, while 12 will only operate in a certain state or region. The junta-led UEC is still determining whether these parties have the legal authority to establish and register.
According to the Political Parties Registration Law, if the party is not registered within 60 days, it is automatically void.
According to the announcement of the junta UEC, there are only 25 days left to register and establish as a political party.
According to the information provided by the junta UEC, there are up to 91 existing political parties, including ethnic political parties, but only a small number of ethnic parties have re-registered after the new law was enacted.
The parties that have applied for the right to establish and register as political parties are the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Federal Democratic Party, Union Democracy Party, Myanmara People’s Democratic Party, Democratic Forces Labor Party, National Unity Party, Public Contribute Students Party, New National Democracy Party, People Power Party, Wun Thar Nu Democratic Party, and Democratic Party.
In addition, ethnic political parties such as the Pao National Organization (PNO), New Democracy Party (Kachin), Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party, Arakan Front Party (AFP), Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, and Kachin State People’s Party (KSPP) have re-registered as political parties.
News-Than Lwin Times