New Delhi (Mizzima) – The long-time party emblem of Burma’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) – a bamboo hat – will fade into history. When it applies to re-register as a legal political party, it will submit a new party emblem, officials said.
NLD leaders will hold a central executive meeting next week to discuss a new party emblem design and the party registration process.
Another opposition party, the National Democratic Force (NDF), was legally granted the bamboo hat emblem when it registered to contest in the 2010 general election. The NDF leaders broke away from the NLD over the issue of contesting in the general election. The NLD decided not to contest in the election, calling the 2008 Constitution undemocratic and the election laws unfair.
“We have don’t have any idea what the new emblem will be. But, we will not use the bamboo hat because there could be a dispute,” NLD spokesman Ohn Kyaing told Mizzima. He said the NLD will continue to use the party’s flag.
On November 18 during a central committee meeting, the NLD unanimously voted to re-register as a political party and to contest in the coming by-elections, after elements of the Constitution and the elections laws were changed.
In the 1990 general elections, the NLD used the bamboo hat as its party emblem, and it continued to use the emblem during the following two decades.
In 2010 when the hat emblem was granted to the NDF by the Election Commission, the NLD appealed, but it said the NDF could use the hat emblem.
The Political Party Registration Law says that if the name, flag or emblem of a party that applies for registration is identical with the name, flag or emblem of another party that is already registered or has already applied, the Union Election Commission may decide the issue.
