The United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the National United Party (NUP) are at loggerheads over the forthcoming 2010 general election campaign since August in Falam town, Chin state western Burma.

“USDA has stopped their members who wanted to resign and join our National United Party. They are campaiging among people not to be a member of NUP,” a member of Falam township NUP said.

In fact, they are forcing youths of 16 years to join their party. All members have the right to resign from the party, he added.

He said “There is no way to resign for the members of the United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) as they prohibited it except for government employees who are transferred to other locations.”

Regarding this, Mr. Dothawng, who had won the 1990 general election in zone 1 of Kalemyo from the National League of Democracy said “The USDA wants to control state power and they will do the same thing in the forthcoming general election as they did in the referendum.”

The USDA was established in 1993 by the military government and it is being used as a useful tool by the regime for various purposes. Now the USDA is campaigning for the forthcoming 2010 general elections in other places.