In a significant decision, members of the Mandalay Division Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MDCCI) can now contest elections with the 'free from politics' rule of the organization scrapped.

The MDCCI amended its constitution at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on February 7 to encourage businessmen to contest elections.

MDCCI is the second largest branch of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and has over 1,240 members.

"They confirmed the deletion of article 23 of the constitution at the AGM. Earlier, all executive members of MDCCI were to be free of politics. Now they have paved the way for members to contest elections," a MDCCI member told Mizzima.

In the same way the Rangoon based UMFCCI also scrapped paragraph 28(h) and 30(i), which bar its members from indulging in party politics.

"Now members can be nominated as Parliamentary candidates," a UMFCCI member said.

Though the junta has not yet announced the date of the election, serving cabinet ministers, organizations and those backed by the regime are being allowed to prepare for election campaigns. The junta has confirmed that it will hold elections in 2010.

But the main opposition party the National League for Democracy (NLD) has set conditions for contesting the polls,  calling for amending the 2008 constitution, releasing all political prisoners and engaging in meaningful dialogue with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by junta supremo Senior Gen. Than Shwe.

A businessman and UMFCCI member told Mizzima that UMFCCI Chairman U Win Myint is likely to contest the election from his home constituency, Deze, Sagaing Division.

MDCCI was set up in 1991 under section 26 of the Myanmar Companies Act.