Two More Arakanese Parties Allowed to Form

Sittwe: The junta-backed Election Commission has approved the applications of two more parties in Arakan State to form political parties for the upcoming election, report party sources.



The Kaman National Progressive Party was approved by the Election Commission on 16 June to form a political party to contest in the upcoming election, and the Khami National Development Party was approved by the Election Commission on 21 June.

A total of five political parties have been allowed to form for the election in Arakan State. Those parties are: Rakhine state National Force of Myanmar, Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, Mro (or) Khami National Solidarity Organization, The Kaman National Progressive Party and Khami National Development Party.

Another political party, the Mro National Party, has also registered with the Election Commission on 23 June but has not yet been approved to form an official party.

According to the Election Commission, there are 42 political parties in Burma that have already registered to form political parties. Among them, 33 parties have been approved to form political parties in accordance with election law.

Although five political parties have been approved by the Election Commission in Arakan State, the parties are still awaiting permission from the Election Commission to undertake campaigns in Arakan.

The Election Commission announced recently that every political party needs to apply to undertake an election campaign, but the Union Solidarity Development Party, the military-government backed party led by Prime Minister U Thein Sein, is currently conducting an election campaign in Arakan State without official permission.

Ref: Narainjara