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

NarinjaraNews, 29 January 2023 (Opinion)

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

This is the party which won the 2020 election by alandslide, and won with the most public supportin every election that has been held, political analysts said.

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

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

Political analysts said this new law issued by the MilitaryCouncil 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 andcontinued to rule as the SLORC.

The SPDC junta led by Senior General Than Shwe had declaredthe 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 apolitical party, and was approved by the Union Election Commission on December13, 2011, and re- established as an official party.

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

The NLD won the 2015 general election by a landslide andformed the government. And five years later, it won again by a landslide in the2020 general election.

On February 1, 2021, the day when the NLD was about toconvene the new parliament and form a new government, Senior General Min AungHlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services seized power, claiming thatthere was “voter fraud” during the election. The new Political PartiesRegistration Law was enacted just a few days before the 2nd anniversary of hisassumption of power.

There have been various speculations about the existence ofthe 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 theNLD.

According to the provisions of the new Political PartiesRegistration Law, many parties with moderate strength, including the previouslyexisting ethnic parties, are no longer likely to continue standing, and only afew parties that can be counted on one hand, and the Union Solidarity andDevelopment Party (USDP) the military’s proxy party are likely to be on theballot paper.

On February 1, the term of the Military Council will be 2years, 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 NationalDefense and Security Council headed by Vice President U Myint Swe according toArticle 427(b) of the 2008 Constitution.

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

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

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