The Mon National Party (MNP) and the All Mon Regions Democracy Party(AMDP) will give priority to youths and women to represent their parties in the 2015 general elections.
Political parties are required to submit the list of their candidates by May, in order to run in the elections.
Nai Layih Tamarh, the MNP’s General Secretary said: “With regards to the candidates qualifications, our party has 18 points. Most importantly, the candidates must be party members, they must follow party policy and be local residents of the area where they were born. They must also be recommended by a township-level party. If young people and female representatives have the adequate qualifications, we will give them priority to take part in the elections.”
He also said that he hoped female members of the MNP’s central committee would participate in the elections, but he did not know exactly who would participate since they had not yet submitted their applications to participate in the election.
Nai San Tin, Joint Secretary (1) of the AMDP said: “We have already made decisions at our party's central committee meeting. We have informed our township party offices that youths and women would be prioritised as candidates when the party offices submit their list of representatives,”.
He estimated that five female members from the AMDP would contest the elections, and that the candidates must be party members and Mon nationals. Amongst the qualifications there is a requirement to excel in writing and speaking Mon, whilst meeting qualifications stated in the constitution.
He said: “For a constituency where we cannot compete, members of Federal Union Party (FUP) will compete instead. We have already negotiated with the FUP.”
For the 2015 elections, in Mon State and some areas of Karen State and Tenasserim Divisioin, the MNP has about 66 candidates competing in ten townships, while the AMDP has 45 representatives competing in seven townships.
the AMDP contested the 2010 general elections, but the MNP did not.
Edited for BNI by Mark Inkey
