“It looks as if the Junta has ruled any future compromise with the the party than won Myanmar ‘s only two democratic elections by a landslide.”

Narinjara News, 29 January 2023 (Opinion)

The Military Council’s new Political Parties Registration Law issued on January 26, seems to be aimed at ending the NLD’s role in Myanmar electoral politics under the coup regime.

This is the party which won the 2020 election by a landslide, and won with the most public support in every election that has been held, political analysts said.

According to Chapter (5) Section (25) of the newly enacted law, parties existing under the Political Parties Registration Law of 2010 must reapply for party registration within 60 days if they wish to continue to be established as a political party. And the political party will automatically be considered null and void if the application is not made.

In addition, Article 12(a) (5) states that "directly or indirectly communicating with or encouraging members of insurgent organizations and individuals who are armed against the state, or organizations and individuals designated by the state as committing acts of terrorism “ renders that political party as disqualified from registration.

Political analysts said this new law issued by the Military Council indirectly abolishes the existence of the current NLD party.

The NLD party, which was established on September 27, 1988, won the 1990 election  but the Tatmadaw never handed over power and continued to rule as the SLORC.

The SPDC junta led by Senior General Than Shwe had declared the NLD as an illegal party on May 6, 2010.

However, after Aung San Suu Kyi’s release from house arrest, under President Thein Sein in November 2011, she was allowed to re-apply as a political party, and was approved by the Union Election Commission on December 13, 2011, and re- established as an official party.

It contested in the 2012 by-election as an official party and won 44 out of 45 representative seats.

The NLD won the 2015 general election by a landslide ‌and formed the government. And five years later, it won again by a landslide in the 2020 general election.

On February 1, 2021, the day when the NLD was about to convene the new parliament and form a new government, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services seized power, claiming that there was “voter fraud” during the election. The new Political Parties Registration Law was enacted just a few days before the 2nd anniversary of his assumption of power.

There have been various speculations about the existence of the NLD party, and it is said that the Military Council did not dissolve it, because of the good relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the NLD.

According to the provisions of the new Political Parties Registration Law, many parties with moderate strength, including the previously existing ethnic parties, are no longer likely to continue standing, and only a few parties that can be counted on one hand, and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) the military’s proxy party are likely to be on the ballot paper.

On February 1, the term of the Military Council will be 2 years, so the Chairman of the Military Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, must hand over the three powers that he said had been delegated to the National Defense and Security Council headed by Vice President U Myint Swe according to Article 427(b) of the 2008 Constitution.

Acting President U Myint Swe, after the arrest of the President and State Counselors, said that he had handed over power to the Military Council in accordance with the state of emergency provision in accordance with the Constitution.

 But with the dissatisfaction of millions of people who voted for the NLD party, the flames of conflict mushroomed grew day by day with massive protest demonstrations across the country. The coup has resulted in the country becoming a failed state.

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