Friday, August 20, 2010

USDP conducts nationwide office-opening ceremonies

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Friday, 20 August 2010 19:04 Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The main junta-backed political party conducted an office-opening ceremony at party headquarters in Rangoon as a part of a nationwide series of similar events that included flag-raisings. Rangoon Mayor Aung Thein Lin presided over the headquarters function in the former capital.

The office of Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA, the precursor to the USDP) on Horse Racing Stadium Street in Bahan Township, near Kyikekasan Stadium, has become the headquarters of Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). More than 100 party members attended and witnessed the building being sprinkled with scented water at 9:45 a.m.

Party spokesman Thura Aye Myint told Mizzima, “In Rangoon, every township conducted opening ceremonies. But, the opening ceremony of the headquarters was conducted first.”

There is an office of USDP in each of the 45 townships in Rangoon Division. It also has a main office for each of Rangoon’s east, west, north and south districts, making a total of 50 USDP offices including headquarters in the former capital.

USDP will contest seats across the country in the forthcoming general elections on November 7, the first in two decades. It hoped it would win a landslide victory, but victory was not assured in Rangoon constituencies, Thura Aye Myint said.

The USDA was formed in 1993 and was transformed by the junta into the USDP this year. The latter submitted its application to form a political party with the junta’s Union Election Commission (UEC) on April 29 and its registration was granted on June 8. It has not yet submitted its list of party members to the UEC. Current Prime Minister Thein Sein is leader and other junta ministers are on the party’s executive committee.

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