With elections around the corner in Burma, opposition political parties are facing several obstacles. For instance members of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and Taang (Palaung) National Party (TNP) in Shan State North’s Kutkhai Township, are reported to be facing restriction in poll campaign by local authorities, according to local sources.

On 4 October, members of sub-election commission in Kutkhai were said to have rejected SNDP’s application for permission to campaign in the areas, according to a source close to SNDP.

The EC turned down the application to the party saying it did not have enough information.

“The party members then went to ask the head of sub-EC what kind of information was needed and on which points their application didn’t comply with the election law. If there was no clear explanation the party said that it would complain to the Union Election Commission,” he said. “They were told it was a mistake and that the party would be allowed to campaign.”

Nevertheless, the party is still finding it difficult to travel in rural areas because the  junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) had ordered local militias not to allow any party to come and campaign, in addition to not allow people to listen to campaign speeches except those given by the USDP, according to another source.

Similarly the TNP campaigners were said to have been told to turn back last month. “People are afraid because they are living in rural areas,” a villager said. “The authorities also threatened that the SNDP will be dissolved after the elections.”

There are four parties contesting in Kutkhai Township, the USDP, SNDP, TNP and National Unity Party (NUP), formerly the ruling socialist party of Gen Ne Win.

Candidates to contest for the State legislature in Kutkhai are Sai Sam Aye of SNDP, U Ti Khun Myat and U Myint Lwin both USDP members and leaders of local militia units in Kutkhai.

U Myint Lwin, aka Wang Guoda (60) Kokang Chinese chief of Tamoeng-ngen militia group, had attended the junta-organized National Convention (NC) as a national races delegate. Likewise, U Ti Khun Myat (57), the leader of the 600-strong Kutkhai militia. He had also attended the NC. He was one of the shareholders of Myanmar Mayflower Bank which was terminated for laundering black money into white money a few years ago.

According to a UEC announcement, there are over 150,000 people who are eligible to vote in Kutkhai Township. The majority of the population in the township is ethnic Chinese, then come Kachin and Palaung.

But Kachin people were not allowed to set up a political party to contest the elections. The party formed by Kachins in Shan State, “Northern Shan State Progress Party”, was rejected by UEC.

Meanwhile, a report from neighbouring Namkham Township says local Kachins there have been leaning towards the SNDP, after the failure to set up their own party.