Sittwe: The first session of the Arakan State parliament was held in Sittwe on Monday, with two USDP lawmakers being elected as head and deputy head of the parliament.

The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party was defeated by the USDP for the two important positions, despite that the RNDP won a majority of the seats up for election in Arakan on 7 November last year.

U Htin Lin, a USDP lawmaker from the first constituency in Gwa Township, was elected as head of the state parliament while U Tha Nyunt, a USPD lawmaker from the second constituency in Manaung Township, was elected as deputy head of the state parliament.

U Khaing Pyi Soe, a member of RNDP's secretary body, said, "The two USDP members won the positions as head and deputy head of the Arakan parliament with 29 votes. We have 18 representatives in the parliament but lost to the USDP in the election for head and deputy head of parliament because they got 29 votes from their elected parliamentarians, army representatives, and other party lawmakers."

The USDP has only 13 elected members in the state parliament but received another 16 votes from the 12 appointed army representatives, 1 National United Party representative, 2 National Development Democratic Party representatives, and 1 from a Chin minority representative.

"All lawmakers except the RNDP voted for the USDP representatives for head and deputy head of the parliament. The USDP was likely to organize other lawmakers to support USDP candidates in the vote. It is proof that the USDP does not want to cooperate with ethnic nationalities parties in order to carry out our national interests," U Khaing said.

The Arakan State parliament began at 8:55 in the morning on Monday, in the former state hall building located in downtown Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State. The session was completed at noon after the two positions for head and deputy head of parliament were elected. There is no date set yet for the second session, but it will be held soon after the newly appointed president appoints the Arakan State minister.

In Naypyidaw, the third powerful man from the military government, U Shwe Mann, was elected as the head of the lower house, while another top USDP candidate, junta Culture Minister Khin Aung Myint, was elected as head of the upper house.