Though the Burmese military junta has announced through the state run media on Wednesday the political parties approved to contest the 2010 general election, Kachin ethnic parties are yet to make it to the list.
The junta mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar newspaper confirmed a list of 24 political parties, which have been allowed to contest the 2010 polls out of 30, which registered with the Election Commission. Two ethnic Kachin parties are still awaiting approval.
The Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) led by Dr. Manam Tu Ja former Vice-President No.2 of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Northern Shan State Progressive Party (NSPP) floated by Duwa Chang Hkaw in Northeast Shan State are still not in the list, which are to enter the election fray, said a party member.
“It is odd. We wonder what we ought to have done. We are really anxious. Every party, which registered from number 1 to 10, has been approved except the KSPP,” said KSPP members.
He said, it may be related with the KIO, which continues to reject the junta’s proposal to transform its armed-wing Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to the junta-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF).
“We will definitely get to know on Monday (May 10) whether we will have approval,” he said.
Four members of the KSPP including Chairman Dr. Tu Ja are heading for Naypyitaw to discuss with the Election Commission its approval to contest the election.
Dr. Tu Ja, leader of KSPP and former Vice-president No. 2 of KIO.
However, people feel the junta might have rejected KSPP because party leader Dr. Tu Ja has connections with the KIO and is also garnering financial support from ethnic armed groups.
There are at least four political parties, which have registered with the Election Commission – the KSPP, Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) – Kachin State, National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) and another Kachin party, which intend to contest from Kachin State.
The KSPP was founded in early 2009 with the help of Kachin State Interim Committee (KSIC), which was formed by KIO and the New Democratic Army-Kachin led by Zahkung Ting Ying, and Kachin Nationals Consultative Assembly (KNCA).
The ethnic KSPP has been into mobilizing people around Kachin State before approval. It has about 3,000 members and has opened at least 10 branches in main townships in the State.
