Yangon/Washington: In a move widely seen as a step to further suppress democratic voices in the country, Myanmar’s military regime-controlled Union Election Commission abolished 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), which the present military regime overthrew in coup d’état on February 1, 2021. The NLD secured landslide victories in 2015 as well as the 2020 general elections in Myanmar.
In a statement, the Union Election Commission said the registration of 40 political parties was automatically cancelled as political parties since they did not apply within the specified period of March 29, 2023. “These parties have been cancelled from being registered as political parties and the parties have been dissolved,” the Commission stated.
It may be mentioned that on January 26, 2023, the Myanmar government’s State Administration Council enacted the Political Parties Registration Law in order to “enable the formation of political parties” in the country, and on January 31, 2023, the Union Election Commission announced the rules for the registration of political parties. Thereupon, if existing political parties wished to continue as political parties, they must re-apply for party registration to the Commission within 60 days from the date of the enactment of the law,
“If there is no such application, the political party is automatically void,” the new rules state. The Union Election Commission said among the existing 90 political parties, only 50 parties applied for the right to continue to exist as the party until March 28, 2023, when the specified period of 60 days got over. This meant that 40 political parties that did not apply within the specified period were automatically cancelled as political parties.
Reacting strongly to the development, the United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, said the US “strongly condemned “the Myanmarese military regime controlled Union Election Commission’s decision to abolish 40 political parties in the country, including the NLD”.
“The military regime’s decision to dissolve the political parties shows its continued contempt for the popular will of Burma’s people and multi-party democracy,” Blinken said. He added: “The military’s ongoing efforts to stifle political dissent and eradicate civic space are designed to further entrench its own power and interests. This action further demonstrates that the regime’s plans for deeply flawed elections, if held, will not represent the will of Burma’s voters.”
Recalling that the people voted overwhelmingly to re-elect the NLD and other parties in November 2020 national elections, the United States today called on Myanmar’s military regime to “reverse course, end the use of violence against the people in Burma, free those it has unjustly detained, and respect its obligations under international law. We remain committed to supporting genuine multiparty democracy, peace, and respect for human rights,” he said.
The US said that any election without the participation of all stakeholders in Burma would not be and cannot be considered free or fair. And given the widespread opposition to military rule, the regime’s unilateral push towards elections likely will escalate instability. “We continue to support efforts by all of those working to establish genuine and inclusive democracy in Burma,” a US State Department spokesperson said in Washington today.
– global bihari bureau
