SENG PHOO — The chair of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) has said that he anticipates his party winning the majority of local seats in Shan State in the 2020 election.

Chairperson Sai Aik Pao spoke to SHAN after the party’s 17th central executive committee meeting in Taunggyi on July 16. In the meeting, they reportedly selected “90 percent” of their candidates.

“We expect to form the Shan State government. We could not do it in 2015 general election,” Sai Aik Pao said. “I believe we can form Shan State government in the 2020 general election.”

The SNDP, also known as the White Tiger Party, won only one state parliament seat in the 2015 election.  

As the SNDP is a member of an 11-party alliance in Shan State—and a 24-member alliance throughout Burma—Sai Aik Pao said that the future state government could be a coalition of these members.

“We won’t contest the election in certain areas if our allied parties contest in the area. We have agreed to it. For example, in the Kokang area—we won’t contest there. We will contest in the Shan majority areas,” Sai Aik Pao told SHAN.

The party will run in 29 townships in Shan State and five townships in Kachin State.

To lead a future state government, the SNDP would need to win 30 state parliamentary seats Sai Aik Pao said.

“I have 100 percent confidence. If I didn’t have confidence, I wouldn’t be a politician,” the party chair told SHAN.

If they are able to form the government, Sai Aik Pao said the SNDP would promote education, social welfare, economic growth and transportation development in Shan State.

“We will work for the betterment of the Shan ethnic people,” he said.

In addition to its state parliament seat obtained in 2015, the SNDP won six ministerial posts in the 2010 election.