Party leaders predict USDP to dominate all assemblies

Friday, 03 September 2010 22:03 Ko Wild

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – August 30 was the final date for political parties to submit candidate lists to the Burmese junta’s electoral watchdog. Most parties predicted that the Union Solidarity and Development Party would have the most candidates in power after nationwide elections on November 7, and therefore great dominance over post-vote parliaments.

Although the exact numbers of each party’s candidates remained unknown, the National Unity Party (NUP) put up 800 to 900 and the junta-backed USDP would have sufficient to contest all constituencies, according to a party spokesmen.

Parties have condemned the short period given by the Union Election Commission (UEC) to submit their lists and the high cost for each candidate’s registration fee. These factors, they said, meant they were unable to run as many party members as they had desired.

The USDP had a huge campaign war chest derived from funds it had inherited from its precursor organisation, the anti-democratic Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA). These finances, rival parties said, meant it had more than enough money to run candidates and pay them to take party in the elections, and gave the USDP a massive advantage.

While some found it hard to predict the poll outcome, others said there would be no seats for opposition lawmakers in the post-poll parliaments.

Democratic Party chairman Thu Wai, who will contest a Mingalataungnyunt Township seat in Rangoon Division, predicted that even if USDP was challenged in the assemblies, it would have an overwhelming majority in votes.

“There can be many debates in the future parliaments, but the party that has the majority of members will have the upper hand,” he told Mizzima.

The Democratic Party will concentrate on seats in the People’s Assembly. Fifty candidates of the party will contest in Rangoon, Mandalay, Irrawaddy, Tenasserim and Pegu divisions, and in Mon and Arakan states, he said.

While National Democratic Force (NDF) chairman Dr. Than Nyein agreed most of the members of the parliaments would be from the USDP, he said they might sometimes lose assembly votes.

“The oppositions may sometimes have the chance of winning because the MPs will need to consider the will of the people in their constituencies. Moreover, if the bill on the assembly floor was obviously fair, they may not oppose it … to avoid losing face,” he said.

Thirty-four candidates of the NDF will contest for seats in the National Assembly, 112 and 16 candidates will contest for People’s and State and Divisions assemblies respectively. However, chairman Than Nyein would not be taking part in the elections because of poor health.

The chairman of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), aka the White Tiger Party, Sai Aik Paung, said he could not predict which party would win the majority of seats in the assemblies. The party’s 157 candidates will contest seats in Shan and Kachin states, and Sagaing and Mandalay divisions.

“In the 1990 election, the National Unity Party, one of the junta-backed parties, contested in every constituency, but they failed. So, the result also depends on the people’s desires,” Sai Aik Paung said. He will run in Theindi Township in northern Shan State for a States and Regions Assembly seat.

Apart from the junta-backed USDP and NUP, parties would avoid contesting in the states of ethnic minorities because they know the people will vote for parties formed by their ethnic groups, according to Sai Aik Paung.

Similarly, party spokesman from 88 Generation Student Youth (Union of Myanmar) and Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP) also predicted the USDP would win an overwhelming majority seats in the elections. Thirty-eight candidates from the 88 Generation Student party and 50 UMFNP candidates were in the running.

To limit opposition party candidate numbers, the junta increased the registration fee and reduced the time allowed for parties to submit their candidate lists, the UMFNP chairman Aye Lwin said.

He will contest Bago (Pegu) National Assembly constituency nine, which contains Paungde, Shwetaung and Thegon townships.

“They have the power, so they can do as they wish. They limited the number of candidates of the opposition parties so they will win easily against such weakened competition,” he said.

The nominated candidates will again be scrutinised by the UEC between next Monday and Friday, so the number of the opposition candidates may again be reduced, to further strengthen junta-supported parties.

There are 330 candidates required for the People’s Assembly, 168 candidates for the National Assembly, and 660 for the States and Regions assemblies, making a total of 1,158 candidates.

The Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) led by Dr. Tuja, a former vice-chairman of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), was rejected by the UEC because of alleged continuing links with the armed ethnic group. This means the KSPP are banned from participating, some ethnic Kachin party members will stand as independents.