An Arakanese ethnic political party, the Mro National Party, has been dissolved by the Union Election Commission for failing to submit its list of candidates to contest in the ensuing election, according to a state-run Myanmar Radio report on Tuesday.

The Mro National Party registered on 23 June and was approved by the Election Commission as a political party on 5 July, 2010.

The Mro National Party was dissolved along with four other parties after they all failed to submit their list of candidates to the Election Commission within the specified time-frame, it was reported. The Mro National Party was formed by Mro leaders to develop the Mro tribal communities in Arakan and Chin State. The estimated population of ethnic Mro is about 20,000.

The other four political parties that were dissolved by the Election Commission include the Union Karen League, Myanmar New Society Party, Myanmar Democracy Congress, and the Regional Development Party (Pyay).

The National League for Democracy, led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as another four parties were dissolved after they failed to register as a political party to contest the November polls, the media reported. The five parties had contested the 1990 elections but the parties did not register with the Election Commission to contest this year’s election.

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the party that won the second-largest seats in the 1990 election, was also dissolved along with the NLD. The other three parties that were dissolved for failing to register are the Union Pa-O National Organization, the National Development Party, and the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party.