The Mro National Party (MNP), a political organization representing the Mro ethnic community in Rakhine State, has made the difficult decision to dissolve itself. This decision stems from the party's inability to meet the stringent requirements imposed by the Military Council's Union Election Commission (UEC) for the registration of political parties.
As per the new regulations set by UEC, a party intending to campaign at the State-level must enlist a minimum of 1000 party members within 90 days of registration and establish offices in a minimum of 5 townships within 180 days.
MNP Chairman U Aye Tun informed DMG that despite the party securing registration, financial constraints hindered the opening of offices, ultimately resulting in its disbandment.
"We had to disband our party because we couldn't open party offices in 5 townships before the deadline. In previous elections, the rules for offices and members weren't as strict, making it easier. The new rules are too tight, and financially, we can't manage, leaving us no choice but to disband the party”, U Aye Tun said.
Political parties from Rakhine State, including the Arakan National Party (ANP), Arakan Front Party (AFP), Rakhine State National United Party (RSNUP), Mro National Party (MNP), Mro National Development Party (MNDP), and Kha Mee National Development Party (KMNDP), have met the requirements for registration in the upcoming election organized by the Military Council. However, the MNP has disbanded. Notably, the Military Council has not yet accepted or recognized the registration submission of the powerful ANP, despite more than 7 months having passed.
On September 26th, UEC instructed Rakhine-based parties to review and resubmit accurate information. This action was prompted by the discovery that over half of the party members listed in their registration submissions did not align with the members' details, including their names, addresses, and national identification card numbers.
UEC, often seen as a rubber-stamped body of the Military Council, asserts that parties failing to meet the registration regulations for political parties will be dissolved automatically.
"If a party fails to meet the new registration rules, it will dissolve automatically, as stated in the laws governing the registration of political parties. In our case, our party has promptly opened the necessary number of party offices as per the established guidelines”, KMNDP Secretary U Than Htay said.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Junta leader, has announced that elections will take place after the 2024 census. Nevertheless, public interest in the election is minimal, and given the ongoing armed conflicts and political turmoil, analysts argue that the likelihood of holding the election is exceedingly low.
