Deputy Home Minister to Run in Maungdaw for Pyidaungsu Hluttaw

Maungdaw: The Union Solidarity Development Party, USDP, is now preparing a list of candidates to run in the upcoming election, including some candidates in Arakan State, said an official from Maungdaw on condition of anonymity.


In Maungdaw Township, Deputy Home Minister U Phone Swe was reportedly selected as the USDP candidate for the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament) while two other candidates have been selected for the Amyotha Hluttaw( National Parliament).

"There is information spreading in Maungdaw that U Phone Swe will contest in the Maungdaw constituency for the Union Parliament and U Mra Aung and San Swe will contest in Maungdaw for the National Parliament," the official said.

U Mra Aung is Chief In-Charge of the Cooperatives Department in Arakan State and U San Swe is a former teacher and owner of United Boarding in Maungdaw.

Deputy Home Minister Phone Swe visited Maungdaw several times along with some prominent Muslim businessmen from Rangoon to organize the Muslim community in Maungdaw Township during the past few months.

Phone Swe is very close with two Muslim businessmen - U Aung Naing and Aung Zaw Win - who are natives of Maungdaw Township, and he is receiving the support of some Muslim businessmen in Maungdaw.

The official also said that the National United Party, the party descended from the late General Ne Win's Burmese Socialist Programme Party, has no plans to put up a candidate in the Maungdaw constituency, but will support the USDP there.

Maungdaw is a Muslim dominated area, and Phone Swe will run as a representative of the Muslim community there, despite that he himself is not Muslim. To date there has been no word of any Muslim candidates running in the election in Maungdaw.

It was also learned that some Muslim leaders in Buthidaung and Maungdaw have visited Naypyidaw on the invitation of Phone Swe to discuss election issues.

Narinjara