CNI News

22 Mar 2023

Chairman U Thar Tun Hla of the Arakan National Party told the CNI that they have registered the ANP out of political necessity of Rakhine state and its people.

He added that they still had a long way to go politically for ethnic groups in Rakhine State and for its future before building a genuine federal union together with other ethnic political forces.

He told the CNI, "As we believe that we still need a political party representing Rakhine ethnic groups, we have registered the ANP as a political party. Under the new political parties registration law, it is very difficult for us to stand as a political party campaigning in the entire country. I felt we have been restricted from forming a national political party. However, we have registered the ANP as a regional party representing Rakhine State and the Rakhine people."

ANP Chairman U Thar Tun Hla.

He said different people had different ideas about registering a political party and he did not want to make a comment on other people's opinions.

The Union Election Commission has been preparing to hold a general election in 2023 and issued the new political parties registration law and its rule on 31st January. It has invited political parties to re-register again since then.

A total of 32 political parties have re-registered so far and eight of them are parties that will campaign in the entire country, according to a press release of the UEC on 20th March.

U Thar Tun Hla told the CNI, "We have vowed to build a genuine federal union as much as we can."

The office of the UEC.

The chairman of the State Administration Council has promised to hold a general election in 2023 and to transfer power to the winning political party.

However, the acting president of the National Unity Government has vowed to disrupt the general election, which will be held as a political exit for the minilary.