Neither the Mon National Party (MNP) nor the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP) will compete in the forthcoming 2014 by-elections, according to Mon political party leaders.
The AMDP will not compete because it believes that the election constituencies which have vacant seats do not have a large number of Mon residents.
“For those vacant seats, because the number of Mon population is very, very small, we do not think we will win them; we have decided not to compete for them,” said the AMDP’s Dr. Banyar Aung Moe.
Although it has been reported that by-elections will take place this coming November and December, the Union Election Commission has yet to announce the exact election dates.
According to the MNP, although the United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the National League for Democracy (NLD) would compete for vacant seats in areas such as Thaton Township, they will not contest such seats because they do not have a strong enough electoral base in those areas.
“Regarding the vacant positions in Thaton Township, because our party is not quite strong enough in the area we also don’t have the strength to compete for these seats, nor do we have any plans to do so. We have heard that the USDP and NLD will compete for these [seats],” said Nai Soe Myint, a spokesperson for the MNP.
At present, there are 13 vacant seats up for grabs in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Burma’s House of Representatives); 6 vacant seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw (the House of Nationalities), and 12 vacant seats in Regional or State Hluttaws (Regional or State Assemblies).
