Nay Pyi Taw, March (15)
The Mon Unity Party (MUP), a Mon ethnic political party based in Mon State, arrives in Nay Pyi Taw to apply for party registration with the junta-established Union Election Commission (UEC), according to Nay Pyi Taw community.
The Mon Unity Party (MUP) has been in Nay Pyi Taw since March 13 to register the party with the Union Election Commission, and is scheduled to register the party on March 15.
The central committee meeting was held on February 11 to discuss the issue of the re-registration of the Mon Unity Party (MUP) under the restrictions of the Political Parties Registration Law, and it has been decided to register at the state level.
The Mon Unity Party said that the re-registration of the party is to enable the party to survive and interact with the public.
U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, criticizes that the registration of the MUP with the intention of solving the political issues through elections may amount to legitimizing the military council and giving it a political existence. He added that “I see the registered parties as organizations that are supporting the transition of the military council to become the head of state”.
The Mon Unity Party (MUP) ran in the 2020 general election in Mon State, Karen State, Bago Region, Taninthary Region, and Yangon Region, winning 12 representative seats.
In late February 2021, when the military coup took place, the MUP joined the military council and had two of their representatives at the federal and state levels served as members of the military council.
An ethnic affairs analyst said, “It is not easy for a registered minority ethnic party to compete in the election against the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and the military council election is not compatible with a democratic system because of the many legal restrictions.”
The Mon State Federal Council (MSFC) told Than Lwin Times on February 13 that the election to be held by the military council is illegal, so it is not suitable for the Mon Unity Party to run in the elections and there is no need to register as a party.
There are 21 political parties that have applied for establishment and registration between February 1 and March 13; five of these parties will organize across the Union, while 16 will only organize within a state or region.
The military council announced that the Union Election Commission is continuing to examine these parties for permission to establish and register parties.
News-Than Lwin Times