Dr. Aye Maung, chairman of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, which won 35 parliamentary seats in Arakan State in the 2010 elections, said that his party cordially and heartily welcomes the landmark winning of the National League for Democracy in the recent by-election in Burma.

“I believed the NLD would win in the election because the NLD is still popular among the people with the hope of Burmese people. Now the NLD won a landmark victory in the election in accordance with my thinking. It is a great chance for all of us to change Burma to a democratic country. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and some NDL representatives will come to parliament in the future and it is also a good opportunity for democratic forces in parliament to carry out more effectively what we need to change for democracy in Burma through parliament,” Dr. Aye Maung said.

Dr. Aye Maung is not only chairman of the RNDP, but also a representative from the upper house in Burma’s parliament.

“It is proof how much people support the NLD. In the 2015 election, the potential of the NLD is very good. It is a knock on the door for democracy in Burma. Our party welcomes the NLD winning in the by-election and we are ready to cooperate with the NLD to amend the 2008 constitution where there are many acts against the democratic process,” Dr. Aye Maung added.

Another senior Arakanese politician from the Arakan League for Democracy, which won 11 seats in the 1990 election, U Aye Tha Aung, said that they welcomed and cheered the historic victory.

“The ALD has been an alliance party of the NLD for two decades. We are working together for democracy in Burma even though we are facing many challenges against us. We hope Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will amend the constitution with the support of some parliament legislators, including the army, throughout the parliament in the near future. Daw Suu has the ability to bring the country to a democratically developing and united country in the near future,” U Aye Tha Aung said.

U Aye Tha Aung lead the ALD as a winning party in the 1990 election, with 11 seats, but later the military government abolished the party without justification. Since then, the party has had to carry out its activities illegally. The ALD is now applying with the election commission to register as a political party, however, the election commission has not decided to recognize the ALD for registering.

According to political sources, most of the ethnic parties, not only the Arakanese parties but also other ethnic parties such as the Shan, and Chin and Karen parties, support the NLD and Daw Suu because they believe she is the only Burmese leader who can solve the problems of the ethnic groups that began when Burma regained independence in 1948.

The NLD won 43 seats in the by-election and the entire Burmese people cheered the landmark winning of the NLD after the 1990 election.