Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A National Democratic Force (NDF) party central committee member said on Tuesday that the party has not ‘split’ into factions, but confirmed a few members led by MP Thein Nyut have left the party, along with members of a second group.
Khin Maung Swe said there must be a significant faction of a party’s leadership who go their own way for a true split to occur, and rumours of a split are untrue.
However party leaders characterise the defections, the breakaway members include prominent members of Parliament and other leaders.
The breakaway group is believed to number about 100 members out of a total membership of more than 8,000 and a central committee of 61 members.
Two different groups have left the NDF, one led by MP Thein Nyunt, who represents the Thingangyun constituency, and one led by Swe-Nyein that includes Khin Maung Swe and Dr. Than Nyein.
The so-called ‘Thingangyun’ group includes Rangoon Division (Region) No. 3 constituency MP Phone Myint Aung, Tingangyun constituency 1 Rangoon Region Assembly legislator U Kyaw, Thingangyun constituency 3 Rangoon Region Assembly legislator San San Myint, Thingangyun NDF branch chairman Win Swe and Latha Township constituency Lower House MP Kyi Myint.
Thein Nyunt was expelled from the party on November 17, 2010 after he gave information about the party’s internal affairs to the media.
Sources said that Thein Nyunt may be planning to rejoin the National League for Democracy (NLD) on the condition that it take part in future elections.
‘We are ready to give assistance and co-operation with our comrades from the NLD, especially those who will contest in by-elections and those who will follow the parliamentary politics path. If they choose this parliamentary politics path, we are ready to give them all necessary assistance’, Thein Nyunt said.
Khin Maung Swe, a prominent member of the second breakaway group, said that it was too early to talk about forming an alliance with the NLD.
‘We have the same goal of achieving democracy and human rights in our strategic plans but our methods are different’, he said.
‘We assume that we can reach our goals of a democratic society only by addressing issues of poverty, unemployment, poor education, etc. So we adopted the appropriate policy in accordance with the prevailing time and situation’.
The NDF party was not unified on its policy goals during the past session of Parliament. A motion by one NDF party MP was opposed by another NDF MP.
