CNI News

12 June 2025

The Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP), a new political party in Rakhine State, was unlikely to contest the December 2025 election under the current circumstances, its founder, U Ba Shein, told CNI News.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on June 9 that it had granted the Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP) the right to establish a political party. However, the registration period for political parties to contest the election ended on May 9, and it is unlikely that more party registrations will be granted before the election, Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP) founder U Ba Shein told CNI News.

"How much will we be able to do if we follows the law and regulations? I don't think we saw that in the 2010 election. It was only after the 2010 election that the NLD registered and entered the elections. I think this is directly proportional to the attitude of the UEC and the attitude of the government that will come to power. Only after being granted party registration can a party be established. Now, they say if you want to establish a party, you can establish a party. There are many provisions in the law and regulations, and we must follow them and act accordingly. I think the deadline for party registration was set on May 9th. Later, after the elections, parties continued to apply. We saw similar cases after the 2010 elections. The NLD registered and ran the elections. But in 2010, the NLD was not a political party on the table," he said.

Office of the Union Election Commission

The Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP) applied for permission to establish a political party on April 8, and the Union Election Commission (UEC) granted permission two months later. 

Therefore, it is stipulated that an application must be made to the Election Commission for registration as a political party within 30 days from the date of receipt of permission, in accordance with Rule 7 of the Registration of Political Parties. The Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP) currently has not had a lot of party members and has not yet formulated party policies as well, party founder U Ba Shein told CNI News.

“When applying for party registration, all of the party policies must be submitted to the UEC. There may be some of these policies that the UEC likes, and some that it doesn't.  How can we solve the policies they don't like? We want to establish a party, so we have to do the work we want." he said.

U Ba Shein, founder of the Rakhine Nationalities Party

U Ba Shein, the founder of the Rakhine Nationalities Party (RNP), was previously a member of the policy steering committee of the Arakan National Party (ANP) and a former Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Kyaukphyu Township. 

Currently, in Rakhine State, the Arakan Front Party (AFP), the Rakhine State National Unity Party (RSNUP), the Myo National Party, and the Khami National Development Party are the parties allowed to register with the UEC.