Both the Kayah State Democracy Party (KySDP) and the Kayan National Party (KNP) said they would not attend the meeting between the political parties and the newly-formed Union Election Commission (UEC).

U Thae Yal, Secretary of the KySDP said: “Our party decided not to attend the meeting according to the party’s policy. We don’t want the military government. We can only accept the election commission which is really free and fair. “The KySDP received the UEC’s invitation letter on February 22nd.

According to the statement issued on February 2nd, the KySDP said it would not attend the meeting with the newly-formed UEC by the State Administration Council (SAC), by taking account of three principles:

1) An end to the military dictatorship

2) Scrapping the 2008 Constitution and

3) The building up of a federal democracy. The KySDP will stand with the people.

Most of the main ethnic parties included the Shan SNLD have also refused to have any dealings with a coup-appointed elections commission.

In its statement the KNP said it protested against any action or body that may help to prolong the existence of military dictatorship and so we decided not to attend the meeting with the UEC.