The Karen National Democratic Party (KNDP) based in Karen State welcomed the NLD’s invitation letter for the inclusion of ethnic parties in building up a federal democratic union on November 27.

Mann Aung Pyi Soe, Chair of the KNDP said: “The KNDP sent the reply letter to the NLD after coordination among the CEC members. The party’s stand is to implement the formation of a genuine federal democratic union and we have called on the NLD to carry out work for the emergence of a genuine federal democratic union the ethnics have been longing for.”

The NLD which secured a landslide victory in the recent election, sent a letter dated November 12, to 48 political parties with the title “ union affairs and future Myanmar.”

The Phalon-Sawow Democratic Party, the Karen National Democratic Party, the Karen People’s Party (KPP) and the Karen National Party (KNP) are included in the 48 parties. Only the KNDP sent the reply letter.

The KPP said it would review the NLD’s invitation. The remaining two parties have given no comments yet.

In 2018, the Karen National Democratic Party was formed with some leaders from the Karen Democratic Party (KDP), the Karen State Democracy and Development Party, the United Karen National Democratic Party and the Phalon-Sawow Democratic Party.

The KNDP secured no seats in the 2020 General Election though 29 candidates from the party competed in six townships of Karen State. In some constituencies, the KNDP lost to the NLD by a narrow margin and secured the second-highest number of votes, according to the voting results issued by the Karen State Election Sub-Commission.