The Karen National Party (KNP) will boycott a meeting between the newly-formed Union Election Commission (UEC) created by the post-coup military regime and political parties according to Mann Kyaw Nyein, General Secretary of the KNP told the KIC on February 24th.

Mann Kyaw Nyein “The UEC phoned me to attend the meeting. The party decided not to attend the meeting after consultation with the party’s CEC members. The party responded to the UEC that it would not attend the meeting,” he added. The newly-formed UEC plans to hold a coordination meeting with the political parties in Nay Pyi Taw on February 26th and has sent invitations to all political parties.

The CDM- Civil Disobedience Movement against the coup insists that the regime has no legitimacy, and therefore political parties should stand by the results of the November 2020 election which are internationally recognized.

The KNP was formed with Karen people in Ayeyawady Region in 2014. The KNP is a member of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA).

Currently, there are four registered Karen political parties.

Apart from the KNP, the Karen People’s Party (KPP), the Karen National Democratic Party (KNDP) and the Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP) will attend the meeting according to the officials of the parties. 

Many Karen communities want to have nothing to do with a new election organized by the military and along with millions in all parts of Myanmar, they demand that the results of the November 20th election are respected.

Former KNU vice president Naw Zipporah Sein told BNI “we are bitterly disappointed by their collaboration with the election agency that set up the military coup. The KNU believes all nationalities and all governments should deny any recognition to the new regime.”

The State Administration Council formed the new Union Election Commission after the army seized the country’s power on February 1st. This is the first meeting between the new UEC and political parties.