CNI News
12 September 2025
Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin, Chairperson of Yangon Watch Group, told CNI News that if the number of political parties competing at the union level in the upcoming general election in Myanmar is low, it will be difficult to gain international recognition.
Myanmar is scheduled to hold a general election on December 28, 2025. Nine political parties had registered to compete nationwide. However, the Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on September 9, 2025, that four of those parties were dissolved for not meeting the required number of 50,000 members and for not opening 110 party offices.
The dissolved parties are the National Democratic Force (NDF), the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP), the Women's Party (Mon), and the Union Farmers and Workers Force Party. Among these four parties, the NDF, DNP, and Women's Party (Mon) were registered to compete nationwide.
"If you talk about a multiparty democracy and there are only three or four parties that can compete at the union level, it's very difficult for the international community to recognize it," said Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin of Yangon Watch Group.
The UEC's dissolution announcement for four political parties.
She continued, "The officials at the UEC, as well as political leaders and state leaders, should seriously consider this issue. If there are only three or four parties that can compete at the union level, it will be very difficult for the international community to recognize it. Therefore, state leaders and UEC officials should reconsider. If you talk about a multiparty democracy, there should be at least 10 major parties competing at the union level. If more parties are dissolved for not having enough candidates, there won't be more than three or four parties left to compete in this election. From the perspective of international observers, this doesn't look good."
On August 20, the UEC issued a directive for political parties to submit proof of having met the required number of party members and offices by September 7, 2025, in accordance with subsections 5(c) and 5(g) of the Political Parties Registration Law.
Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin told CNI News that the UEC's laws are too strict given the current political situation.
Political parties
"The UEC's laws regarding these parties are too strict given the current political situation. In reality, the country's situation doesn't allow political parties to open offices. Landlords are afraid to rent their rooms to political parties due to security concerns. So, it is very difficult to get 110 offices. For example, parties like the National Unity Party (NUP) and the USDP don't have this problem because they have had offices for a long time. The political parties have consistently requested the UEC to relax the rules for new parties. If they don't get enough candidates, there are still more political parties that could be dissolved. The UEC should give them more time. The political parties should also unite and collectively appeal to the Election Commission on this matter," she said.
Out of the nine parties that registered to compete nationwide in the December 28, 2025 election, only six remain. The remaining parties are the USDP, led by U Khin Yee; the PPP, led by Dr. Thet Thet Khine; the PP, led by U Ko Ko Gyi; the SNDP, led by Sai Aik Paung; the MFDP, led by U Kyaw Swar Soe; and the NUP.
