Vice-President U Henry Van Thio, who is running for the seat in Htantalan Township as NLD candidate in the election is also inspecting the implementation of regional development tasks of Chin State government according to U Soe Htet, Chin State Minister for Development Affairs.
However, his combining of his government functions with his election campaigning has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society.
Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, Secretary of the Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD) said: “I don’t exactly know whether the vice-president’s tour is under the auspices of the government or it is the NLD party’s campaign trip. The implementation of development tasks should not be utilized for election purposes. Opposition parties lose out as they harness government resources. Government duties and the campaign trip should not be mixed up.”
U Soe Htet added “He will proceed to Htantalan Township after visiting development tasks here for two or three days. He gave guidance on the speedy implementation of construction projects and the upgrading of Education College to Degree College and the education degree college to the education university, he added.
The candidates from the Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD) and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will also compete for the upper house seat in Htantalan Township.