CNI News
18 August 2024

Political parties which criticize or point out the State Administration Council (SAC) were refused to register, chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP) U Thar Tun Hla told CNI News.

Because the ANP went against the Section-7 of the political parties registration law, the ANP's application to be registered had been refused, released the Union Election Commission (UEC) on 1st July.

According to a certain existing law, an organization that has been declared an unlawful association or an organization that is attacking the state with armed forces, or organizations that encourage or support an organization or individuals designated by the state as committing terrorist acts have no rights to register.

" I think the UEC is showing its attitude only parties that support the SAC are allowed to register. The parties that criticize the SAC are refused." said U Thar Tun Hla to CNI News.

The UEC released the political parties re-registration law and bylaws on 31st January 2023 and asked the political parties to register again within 60 days.

Because Myanmar is a State of Union, all ethnic groups have the right to participate in politics and it was necessary to allow political parties to register, spokesperson of the Mon Unity Party (MUP) Naing Than Shwe told CNI News.

" It's necessary to allow remaining parties to register because our country is a State of Union in which a variety of ethnic groups live. So, they have rights to participate in politics." he said.

The MUP has been refused to register although it has applied for registration for over one year. Moreover, the Zomi Congress for Democracy (ZCD) and the Arakan National Party (ANP) including some other parties have been refused to register.

Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the SAC, said that census-taking would be conducted this year and a general election would be held in 2025.