Burma’s ethnic Lahu National Democratic Party (LNDP) is said to be contesting in only six townships across Shan State in the forthcoming general elections, according to a Lahu elder close to the party leadership on the Thai-Burma border.
The party, based in Quarter No#1 on Tineyone road of Shan State North’s Lashio and led by Chairman Jaha Shay and Secretary Joseph, expects to field candidates in townships, where there are significant numbers of Lahu people. The LNDP will contest in Shan State North’s Tangyan Township and Shan State East’s Mongton, Mongpiang, Monghsat, Mongphyak and Tachilek townships.
In 1990, the party’s advisor, Denial Aung, won the most votes in Mongpiang during the elections that were not recognized by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Despite the large Lahu population in these townships, there are also other ethnic nationalities such as Shan and Wa. The LNDP therefore has to contest with these parties and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) led by the former Prime Minister Thein Sein.
According to the constitution drawn up by the junta in 2008, there will be five ballot boxes in each polling station: one for the upper house, one for the lower house, two for the state/region legislature and another one for minority candidates representing communities with at least 0.1 per cent of the total population.
Although many Lahu people also live in the Wa controlled areas of Mongpawk and Mongphen, the LNDP said they will not contest in those areas as the region is not so stable and they are not recognized as lawful by the junta because of their continued resistance against joining the Burmese Army’s Border Guard Force. “The party has never had an officially recognized MP and its aim, should they win enough votes, is to create a space for its own people and to have a representative for the Lahu people,” said the elder.
There are so far 14 political parties in the fray in Shan State, North, East and South: Kayan National Party (KNP), Shan National Democratic Party (SNDP), Taang (Palaung) National Party (PNP), Wa National Unity Party (WNUP), Wa Democratic Party (WDP), Northern Shan State Progressive Party (NSSPP), Kokang Democracy and Unity Party (KDUP), Pa-O National Organization (PNO), Inn National Development Party (INDP), Lahu National Development Party (LNDP), Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and National Unity Party (NUP), National Democratic Force (NDF), Union Democracy Party (UDP) and Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP).
