Two National League for Democracy township-level offices have removed party signboards before the party’s dissolution, a source said last night.

The decision to remove the signboard for the Madaya Township NLD in Mandalay Division, on township NLD chairman Khin Maung Than’s house, came out of a meeting of the township NLD members. It was taken down this morning, an NLD member from Mandalay said on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, the party’s signboard up at NLD Pegu (Bago) Township chairman’s house (at No. 92, 23rd street, Pan Hlaing Quarter), was taken down  on May 5.

Party general secretary Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest, had ordered against removing party signboards and flags. But, Rangoon NLD headquarters directed its township offices to decide regionally whether to keep them, depending on local conditions.

A member of NLD from Pegu (Bago) said: “We were worried we would be sued if we didn’t remove the signboard. We don’t want to be sued after the party has been dissolved.”

The NLD headquarters office in Bahan Township would keep its sign up and the flag flying after the party was dissolved; the members will use the office for social work, a party official said.

The party decided against re-registering with the Election Commission in protest at electoral laws apparently targeted by the junta at excluding it from upcoming national elections. Under the laws, May 6 is the last date by which old parties registered for the 1990 polls can re-register. If they fail to do so they will be deregistered on May 7.

Before 2003, when the junta closed the party’s offices, there were more than 300 NLD centres across the country.