June 11. Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF) held a press conference opposing the proportional representation system at the Mao Kham Restaurant in Naypyitaw on June 10, 2014.
The NBF’s statement declared that the PR system will make it difficult for the minority to get a seat in parliament and it will affect unity.
The statement came after the PR system was discussed in parliament on June 9 2014.
Dr. Aye Maung chairman of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, which is a member of NBF said: “There are lots of ethnic people who do not read and write Burmese. We the ethnic nationalities are not ready to use the PR system, so we oppose it.”
Sai Hla Kyaw the secretary of Shan Nationalities Democratic Party said: “In the 2010 general election, there were many people who did not understand about the election. Lots of people were illiterate. If the PR system is used, it will be more difficult for voters to understand the complex rules of the system.”
In the 2010 general election, the first in 20 years, Burma used the first past the post (FPP) system.
NBF is an alliance of ethnic nationalities political parties, formed in early 2011. There are about 20 members, including the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, All Mon Regions Democracy Party, Rakhine Nationalities Development Party and Chin National Party.
