SNLD Will Form No Alliances

SNLD Will Form No Alliances
by -
S.H.A.N

The leader of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) announced that they will not form a political alliance with other parties competing in Burma’s upcoming general election.

Khun Htun Oo, the chairman of SNLD, told S.H.A.N: “In the past, we waited for the NLD [National League for Democracy], for the possibility of forming a coalition as we had the same goal, to fight for democracy in our country, but now, we have made the decision that we are not going to make a coalition with any party. We will serve as an opposition party and stand on our policy in fighting for the rights of the citizens.”

Khun Htun Oo, who is not running for election himself in 2015 added: “We have learned that the reason why the ethnic groups cannot achieve their goal is because they have different perspectives on their goals. Because of this, we will be…working by ourselves. We will not join with any party.”

As the 8 November election nears, party alliances are being explored as a political strategy to compete more effectively.

The SNLD is a member of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a group comprising of 11 ethnic political parties, of which Khun Htun Oo is the chairperson. The coalition proposed an alliance with the NLD in July, on the grounds that it would create “stronger ethnic representation in Parliament,” as was reported in The Myanmar Times.

The NLD did not respond to requests for a comment from S.H.A.N.

Controversies regarding coalitions have also extended to other regional parties.

According to a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) management team who wished to remain anonymous, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and the 23-party bloc known as Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF), has formed a coalition with the USDP, Burma’s ruling party.

An SNDP representative denied this, calling such an alliance “impossible.”

Some Burma watchers have also speculated that a burgeoning relationship between former USDP leader U Shwe Mann and members of the NLD suggested potential for collaboration between the two parties. However, in late August, the BBC reported that NLD party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi saw U Shwe Mann as an “ally” but that “no formal alliance” had been established.

The NLD plans to compete in most constituencies in Shan State and throughout Burma in the November elections. The Irrawaddy reported in July that the SNLD is competing in all constituencies in Shan State and in selected constituencies in Kachin and Karenni States.

By SAI AW for Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.)

Edited in English for BNI by Mark Inkey

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