CNI News

3 March 2025

If a single party system replaced the multi-party system to solve Myanmar political problems in holding elections, it would be impossible in the current period of fragmentation, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) U Sai Nyunt Lwin told CNI News.

A one-party system is a system in which a country is ruled by a single party. As practiced in a democracy, all the structures and functions such as the parliament and the Supreme Court are fully included, but the real power lies with the party that is ruling the country.

"We are the people who have tried to make it a multi-party democracy. According to the current situation, it's impossible at all to practise the one-party system at a time of fragmentation like this." said U Sai Nyunt Lwin.

While seeing political parties and the SAC Chairman

Myanmar had experienced a single party system because U Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party only ruled the country starting from 1974.

Because the people had to live under the strict rules of the one-party system, they demanded the multi-party system. 

They had enjoyed the essence of democracy for a short time only. Everyone had agreed to use the federal democratic system, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) U Sai Htay Aung told CNI News. So, he wanted politicians to adapt to the will of the people, he said.

While seeing the UWSA

" The people had lived under the strict rules of the one-party system. The country's development was very lagging behind. The people had enjoyed the taste of democracy from 2010 to 2020. I want politicians to adapt to the will of the people. Now, everyone has agreed to use the democratic federalism from democracy." said U Sai Htay Aung.

Democracy is a system in which the people elect their own representatives to govern them. Federalkism is a system of government in which states unite and give up some of their powers to a central authority. 

The Myanmar Tatmadaw had accepted and agreed to use the multi-party system and would implement it and its political goal was to build a union based on democracy and federalism, said the SAC chairman on 27th January 2023.

At present in Myanmar, battles are severely breaking out between the Myanmar Tatmadaw and armed organizations and armed groups have captured a lot of territories where they are building administration. So, people are worried that warlords will emerge.