CNI News

16 September 2025

The dissolution of political parties that were established to resolve national issues through political means and planned to contest in elections may cause people to lose faith in politics and turn toward armed movements, said Daw Sandar Min, Vice Chair of the National Democratic Force Party (NDF).

Daw Sandar Min, who had left the National League for Democracy (NLD) and later joined the National Democratic Force (NDF), said this while noting that although elections are being prepared in Myanmar, the Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on September 9, 2025, that four parties including the NDF had been dissolved.

She stated that, while the government is inviting armed groups—those who are holding weapons and committing acts of violence—to take part in elections and the political process, it has simultaneously dissolved political parties that are willing to participate peacefully through elections. This, she warned, risks discouraging people from the political path.

NDF leaders U Htet Aung Kyaw, Daw Sandar Min, and Dr. Myo Set Thwe.

“At a time when the state is inviting even those who are committing violent acts with weapons to engage in the political process, we are people who want to work together with the state and resolve matters only through political means. Such people should be genuinely invited. If you have the capacity to contribute to the country, that goodwill should be recognized. But instead of welcoming, dissolving parties like ours undermines the very invitations being made by the state. Therefore, it must be carefully considered. Dissolving four parties before a major election cannot be said to have no consequences. Will the public’s trust increase? Will the election itself remain unaffected? These are questions that must be seriously considered. Actions should not be based merely on a desire to win.”, she said.

The NDF party was led by Daw Sandar Min, U Htet Aung Kyaw, and Dr. Myo Set Thwe, and had been officially registered to contest nationwide. Many observers viewed the NDF as the main rival to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the upcoming elections.

Alongside the NDF, the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP), the Women’s Party (Mon), and the Union Farmers and Workers Force Party were also dissolved by the UEC for failing to meet office requirements.

Dissolved and remaining parties.

Daw Sandar Min emphasized that removing those who firmly believe in resolving political problems through political means could unintentionally push people toward terrorist methods:

“We entered politics with goodwill for the country. I personally have been involved in politics since the age of 18. I have also been imprisoned and endured many hardships, but I never fled abroad—I stayed in the country. I always believed that political issues must be resolved through political means, in a way that does not harm the people, and with genuine goodwill. Even now, at over 50 years old, that belief remains unchanged. If people like us, who still hold this conviction, are not accepted, then minds may shift toward violent methods. Still, despite our party’s dissolution, our conviction that political issues must be solved politically will not change.”

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing previously stated that while the government is extending invitations for political dialogue, it will not accommodate armed groups’ demands in every way.

Meanwhile, some groups believe that Myanmar’s political deadlock cannot be resolved through elections and insist that only armed struggle can bring about a Federal Democratic Union. These forces continue to oppose the planned elections and have warned they will take decisive action against parties and individuals participating in elections.

The Union Election Commission has announced that Phase (1) of the elections will be held in 102 townships on December 28, 2025.