Thursday, November 17, 2011

Newly formed parties to contest in Burmese by-election

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Thursday, 17 November 2011 13:53 Tun Tun

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Forty-eight seats will be up for grabs in the three levels of the Burmese parliament’s new legislative assemblies in the by-election that may take place sometime in December.

Many political parties that either contested in the 2010 general election or are newly formed parties now preparing their campaigns.

The Burmese Parliament in session in Naypyitaw Photo: Mizzima

According to sources, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will contest in all vacant constituencies, while the National Democratic Force (NDF) and National Unity Party (NUP) plan to contest in 20 constituencies respectively. A newly formed party, the New National Democracy Party (NNDP), will contest for three seats. Included among the candidates is the well-known Burmese rapper Ratha, who will contest for a seat in Parliament from the Mayangone constituency.

The vacant seats include 40 seats for in theLower House, six seats in theUpper House and two seats each in state and regional parliaments. Among them, Mandalay Region has the largest number of vacant seats in 10 constituencies.

Many observers say the USDP will probably contest in all vacant constituencies and many locally based ethnic parties said they may contest at least for a seat in the by-election as they set their priorities for the 2015 general election.

The Rakhine National Democratic Party, mainly based in Arakan State, and the Chin National Party (CNP), mainly based in Chin State, said they would not contest in the by-elections.

In mid-November, the Union Election Commission notified its branch offices in states and regions to be ready for the by-election, according to domestic media reports.

In the 2010 general election, the ruling USDP won a majority of seats in 882 out of a total 1,154 constituencies, or 76.5 per cent.

The NUP won 63 seats and the SNDP, RNDP, NDF and AMDP won 57, 35, 16 and 16 seats respectively (See box).

The National League for Democracy (NLD), which did not contest in the 2010 election, will meet on Friday to decide whether the party will re-register and contest for seats in the coming by-election.

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