ew Delhi (Mizzima) – Officials of the National Democratic Force (NDF) have submitted party documents to the Union Election Commission that explain the expulsion of Thein Nyunt, a member of Parliament, from the party. The documents have not been released to the public.
Thein Nyunt of the Thingangyunt Township constituency was expelled from the party on November 17, 2010, after he allegedly gave information about the party’s internal affairs to the media. The party and Thein Nyunt have both filed official complaints against each other with the Rangoon Region Union Election Commission (UEC), which is examining the case.
The expulsion has led to the formation of a breakaway group of members of Parliament and party members. The breakaway NDF group has more than 200 members and is led by five MPs including Thein Nyunt.
NDF leader Khin Maung Swe said that Thein Nyunt and his colleagues are still using the party’s flag and badge, causing the party to file its complaint with the Rangoon Region UEC.
‘According to the party registration law, two parties cannot share a party badge. So, to avoid confusion among the people, we filed a formal complaint against Thein Nyunt, and then the commission ordered us to submit supporting evidence to explain the sacking’, Khin Maung Swe said.
The Rangoon Region UEC will pass the documents on to the central UEC led by retired Lieutenant General Tin Aye.
Last week, the Rangoon Region UEC summoned NDF leaders to investigate the case. Thein Nyunt has not been summoned.
In response to the sacking, on November 24, 2010, Thein Nyunt submitted an appeal to the UEC that the sacking was not in accord with the law and he appealed to the UEC to handle the case.
‘If the commission accepts Thein Nyunt’s dismissal, he will become an independent MP. If so, we will leave the NDF, and we will also become independent MPs’, a fellow MP told Mizzima.
In addition to Thein Nyunt, the breakaway group includes Rangoon Region No. 3 constituency MP Phone Myint Aung, Thingangyun constituency 3 Rangoon Region Assembly legislator San San Myint, Thingangyun NDF branch chairman Win Swe and Latha Township constituency Lower House MP Kyi Myint.
Meanwhile, Thein Nyunt and Kyi Myint from the breakaway group and nine MPs from the Union Solidarity and Development Party have reportedly received government permits to buy mini-saloon cars, made jointly by the Ministry of Industry (2) and a Chinese company, at a price of 5.5 million kyat (about US $ 6,400). Some MPs have criticized the permits because they were not made available to all MPs.
‘Word has gotten around that anti-NDF MPs have received permits to buy the state-made cars. We don’t want to make any comment on it’, Khin Maung Swe said.
The NDF was formed by a group of former leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) after the NLD decided not to take part in the election. The NDF won 16 parliamentary seats.
