The National League for Democracy will be taking the crucial decision on whether to register to contest the 2010 elections at a central committee meeting in its headquarters in Rangoon on March 29.

The Burmese military junta’s harsh and vindictive electoral laws, announced recently, has pushed the NLD in a Catch 22 situation, where it will have to expel Aung San Suu Kyi and many other leaders and members, who are serving jail sentences, if it wants to register to contest the elections.

The decision to call a CC meeting was taken at today's meeting of the Central Executive Committee attended by top leaders of the party including Vice Chairperson Tin Oo, said Nyan Win, a CEC member.

Former Defence Minister and a highly decorated general Tin Oo was released from house arrest last month.

"We discussed whether NLD will register or not in today's meeting. But no decision was taken. We have called a meeting of CC members to further discuss and decide," he told Mizzima, adding that Aung Shwe, Chairperson of the party who was not able to visit the NLD office for the last six months due to age and health problems also attended the three-hour meeting today.

The NLD in its bid to strengthen the party constituted a Central Committee with 108 members from 14 States and Divisions of the country, including some political prisoners, who are still languishing in jails.

Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the party and Nobel Peace Laureate recently told her lawyers that the junta's electoral laws are a "challenge" to the NLD as it bars any one serving a prison sentence from being a member of a party or to contest the elections.

According to the electoral laws announced last week, political parties wishing to contest the elections will have to register with the Elections Commission within 60 days from March 8.