UEC approves four political parties in Rakhine state to get registered

Narinjara News, 6 May 2023

The Union Election Commission (UEC) under the Military Council has allowed four political parties based in Rakhine State to get registered as political parties.

Those parties include Arakan Front Party (AFP), Rakhine State National Party (RSNP) and Mro Ethnic Party (MEP) and Khami National Development Party (KNDP).

According to the military regime-controlled media outlets, AFP and RSNP were approved by the election authority on 2 May, MEP on 4 May and KNDP on 5 May.

The new UEC laws include that the political parties expecting representations in the State and division level should have at least 1,000 members within 90 days.

“As a political party representing the State and division level, we have to mobilize one thousand people within three months and then submit to the election authority. We have to strengthen our party," said AFP secretary U U Tun Thein.

For the party intended to contest in national elections, it must mobilize 1,00,000 members within 90 days.

Moreover, those political parties in union level will have to open a bank account with Kyats one hundred million deposit in a recognized commercial bank. For the parties in the region or State level, they have to open the bank account with Kyats ten million.

Arakan National Party (ANP) is yet to be granted permission for registration by the UEC.

ANP chairman U Tha Tun Hla confirmed that his party is yet to be registered.

Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) has not applied for the same. Similarly, Kaman National Progressive Party (KNPP) and Dinette People's Progressive Party (DPPP) of Rakhine State decided not to apply for registration.

The election authority released the new rules on 26 January and asked the parties to apply for reregistration. It also stated that those not entertaining the new rules within two months, their registration will be automatically canceled as political parties.

On 28 March, the election authority revealed that more than 60 political parties had applied for registration under the new rules. Moreover, 40 political parties, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy (NLD) was disbanded.