Prime Minister Thein Sein and 26 other ministers, all recently retired military officers, submitted their application for registration of their Union Solidarity and Development Association party with the Election Commission yesterday, the electoral watchdog said.

The party (USDA) was originally established as a nationalist social group by the military regime. A USDA leader refused to disclose the names of the 27 people listed on the application when contacted by Mizzima but said they were former Central Executive Committee members in the group’s former incarnation.

He also said that the party would stand for election in all three legislative bodies.

A source close to Naypyidaw said Thein Sein himself was surprised to be reinstated as top leader of the USDA as he was widely known as wanting to resign from the post.

“They feel secure only in their uniforms but all of these developments were arranged [ordered] by [the] Senior General [Than Shwe] himself”, he added.

Twenty-two serving high-ranking officers including the prime minister, ministers and deputy ministers resigned from their military posts on April 26.

The source close to the issue told Mizzima that out of the list of 22 persons (see box), the prime minister and some other ministers were included in the list of applicants mentioned in their party registration form.

Opposition groups and critics said the junta was using the polls to ensure a favourable outcome in the polls and maintain a tight grip on power. According to the 2008 Constitution, 25 per cent of seats in each legislature: the People’s Parliament (lower house), the National Parliament (upper house) and the States and Regions Parliament (state assembly); are reserved for military personnel without needing to run for office.

If the officers who formally resign from their military posts and contest in elections as civilians are successful, they will not be counted among the 25 per cent of reserved seats, thus enabling military or junta-friendly candidates a better chance of controlling each house, the critics said.

It was likely that more ministers and military officers would resign from their military posts in the near future, they said.

According to party sources, USDA was trying to boost numbers until they can fulfil their target number of about 20 million members.