The Karen Affairs Minister from the ruling government party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party from the Tanintharyi region resigned and joined the Kayin People’s Party.
Saw Hervy, the current Karen Affairs Minister, told Karen News that he resigned from the USDP and will now contest the November 8 general election as a candidate for the Kayin People’s Party (KPP).
In early August, Saw Hervy quit the USDP and it is understood that he had already registered his candidacy to the Union Election Commission as a KPP candidate and will now stand for re-election as the Karen Affair Minister for Tanitharyi region.
Speaking to Karen News, Saw Hervy said.
“In 2010, I contested for the USDP and won. But now the Chief Minister for the region selected a woman candidate to contest the seat so we would have had two candidates. I sense incompetency and also I have been in contact with KPP for a long time. I already informed in writing that I would join (KPP) on the day the USDP released its list of candidates. So I resigned it.”
According to the KPP general secretary, Saw Say Wah, the KPP will contest all five seats that have been allocated for the Karen Affair Ministers and have registered 119 candidates with the Union Election Commission. The KPP general secretary, Saw Say Wah said he will be contesting for the Karen Affair Minister’s seat in the Yangon region.
A source close to the Tanintharyi regional government, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed the rational behind the USDP’s motive to run two candidates may have been tensions between Saw Hervy and the region’s Chief Minister.
Speaking to Karen News, the source said.
“The Karen Affairs Minister does not always do what the Chief Minister wants. So, someone who would listen to him [chief minister] has been selected to contest for the seat in the coming election and he (Saw Hervy) was left out. And if the election process is free and fair down to the village level, the current Karen Affairs Minister [Saw Hervy] has better chance to win.”
Minster Saw Hervy served in the regional government’s Education Department for 36 years and retired as the Education Director of Tanintharyi Division and was elected as the Karen Affairs Minister for the Tanintharyi Region at the 2010 general election.
