CNI News
14 August 2023
Parties that have not got registered have not been able to campaign yet, said political parties.
The Union Election Commission (UEC) had forbidden the right to meet with their party members and If a multi-party democratic system was practiced, UEC would have to support to make the political parties strong, said U Ko Ko Gyi, chairman of the People's Party (PP) to CNI News.
" If we are going to practice a multi-party democratic system, authorities must allow the parties to campaign and support to make the parties strong. If we are not disturbed at least, we can speak freely in public. Even normal procedures of a legal party like ours are forbidden. For example, when I presented to hold a party meeting in Taikkyi, we were forbidden since the registration is still being verified. In the instructions of the previous commission, we would need to let them know if we held a party meeting in our office without asking permission from them. We let them know that we would hold a party meeting, but we were forbidden." he said.
The office of the union election commission
UEC released laws and regulations relating to re-registration of political parties on 31st January 2023 and asked the parties to re-register within 60 days.
Authorities were responsible to make political parties strong if a multi-party system was practiced, said U Thar Tun Hla, chairman of the Arakan National Party to CNI News.
" In fact, authorities are responsible to make political parties strong if the multi-party politics is practiced. Only when political parties are strong, the people will trust and rely on the political process. But in the current situation, there are more restrictions on political parties. Any more of restrictions might be coming. Political parties are facing with a very difficult situation, I comment like that." he said.
A list of political parties and UEC stamp
At present, although 12 political parties have registered, seven parties only got registrations and the rest five parties are under scrutiny, said UEC to CNI News.
" There are questions and discussions among political parties in relation to what policies the current UEC is applying. As.a matter of fact, we don't find in the laws and regulations that legal parties must suspend their processes." said U Ko Ko Gyi.
At present, the People's Party (PP), the Arakan National Party (ANP) and Mon Unity Party have registered as the parties that will organize all over the country, but they have not got registrations reportedly.
