Members of Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and Taang (Palaung) National Party (TNP) in Shan State North’s Kutkhai Township, are reported to have been facing restriction in conducting campaign by local authorities, according to local sources.
On 4 October, members of sub- election commission in Kutkhai was said to have rejected SNDP’s application for permission to conduct campaign in the areas, according to a source close to SNDP.
The EC however returned the application to the party saying it did not contain enough information.
“The party members then went to ask head of sub-EC what kind of information was needed and on which points their applications 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 conduct its 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 conduct campaigns, in addition to not to 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 to contest in Kutkhai township, the USDP, SNDP, TNP and National Unity Party (NUP), formerly the ruling socialist party of Gen Ne Win.
Candidates to be contesting for 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, is the leader of 600-strong Kutkhai militia. He had also attended the NC. He was one of the shareholders of Myanmar Mayflower Bank which was terminated for washing black money into white money a few years ago.
According to UEC announcement, there are over 150,000 people who are eligible to vote in Kutkhai Township. The majority of the populations 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 in the upcoming elections. The party formed by Kachins in Shan State, “Northern Shan State Progress Party”, was rejected by UEC.
Meanwhile, a report from the neighboring Namkham township says local Kachins there have been leaning toward the SNDP, after failure to set up their own party.
Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3237:shan-taang-parties-face-campaign-restrictions&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266
On 4 October, members of sub- election commission in Kutkhai was said to have rejected SNDP’s application for permission to conduct campaign in the areas, according to a source close to SNDP.
The EC however returned the application to the party saying it did not contain enough information.
“The party members then went to ask head of sub-EC what kind of information was needed and on which points their applications 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 conduct its 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 conduct campaigns, in addition to not to 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 to contest in Kutkhai township, the USDP, SNDP, TNP and National Unity Party (NUP), formerly the ruling socialist party of Gen Ne Win.
Candidates to be contesting for 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, is the leader of 600-strong Kutkhai militia. He had also attended the NC. He was one of the shareholders of Myanmar Mayflower Bank which was terminated for washing black money into white money a few years ago.
According to UEC announcement, there are over 150,000 people who are eligible to vote in Kutkhai Township. The majority of the populations 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 in the upcoming elections. The party formed by Kachins in Shan State, “Northern Shan State Progress Party”, was rejected by UEC.
Meanwhile, a report from the neighboring Namkham township says local Kachins there have been leaning toward the SNDP, after failure to set up their own party.
Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3237:shan-taang-parties-face-campaign-restrictions&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266
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