Shan ex-MP: ‘Many parties will be dissolved, whether they are against the SAC or not’

01 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
1 February 2023, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime, which spuriously used claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 general election as an excuse to stage a coup, promulgated a new Political Parties Registration Law on January 26.

The new law requires political parties contesting at the Union level to recruit at least 100,000 members within 90 days of their registration being approved. The parties must also open offices in at least 150 of the country’s 330 townships within six months, and must deposit 100 million kyats with a state-owned bank. Political parties contesting at region/state level, meanwhile, must recruit 10,000 members and staff offices in at least five townships, the law states. They must deposit 10 million kyats with a state-owned bank.

Political parties are also required to re-register with the junta-appointed Union Election Commission within 60 days of enactment of the new law. Parties that fail to do so will be dissolved. The new law favours big political parties but while presenting significant hurdles for smaller ethnic parties, say critics.

Myanmar-based political observer and former lawmaker for the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party U Ye Tun recently spoke to DMG about the new Political Parties Registration Law.

DMG: What is significant about the new Political Parties Registration Law enacted by the State Administration Council (SAC)?

U Ye Tun: The new law requires political parties contesting at the Union level to recruit at least 100,000 members within three months, and to have 100 million kyats. Compared with the previous law, the requirements are stricter. And parties contesting in a single region or state must recruit 1,000 members and must have 10 million kyats. 

On the ground, only a few parties can contest at the national level. Some parties can contest in two or three regions and states. For example, Shan parties also contest in Kachin. [But it is impossible for those parties to recruit 100,000 members.] So, it appears the law only allows for parties that contest at the Union level, and parties that contest in a single state or region for registration. Political parties will have troubles because of those provisions.

DMG: What difficulties do you think the law will create for political parties?

U Ye Tun: It is quite difficult to recruit 100,000 members within three months at this time, under the current political situation. It is too dangerous to recruit party members or conduct electoral campaigns. Anti-junta forces have warned against [participating in] the planned election. So, it is a little dangerous to recruit party members. It won’t be difficult for certain parties to recruit 100,000 members at this time, but it will be difficult for the majority of parties.

DMG: How will the law affect the parties contesting at region/state level?

U Ye Tun: It is not very difficult for big parties. This amount of money and the number of party members is not much of a problem for political parties like SNLD [Shan Nationalities League for Democracy] and SNDP in Shan State. 

There are ethnic parties with a small population that can compete in elections only on a regional basis. These small parties may have a little difficulty in contesting the election. This law allows a small political party only to compete for one seat. However, the fact that representative offices must be opened in five townships means that small political parties may have difficulties.

DMG: ‘Difficulties’ such as potentially being dissolved under the terms of the new law?

U Ye Tun: It is true. When the political parties have to re-register, the UEC will not have to cancel the political parties for violating the electoral law. If they do not register in accordance with the new law, they will be dissolved automatically. Political parties will no longer be able to carry out political activities.

Political parties opposed to the State Administrative Council have already announced that they will not contest the election. According to the original rules, if political parties do not compete in the election, they will be dissolved. Political parties that oppose the election to be held by the military council and declare that they will not contest must be dissolved by law. Now there is a sense that even political parties that do not oppose the junta’s planned election may be dissolved.

Political parties that cannot organise 100,000 members within three months and other political parties that do not have K100 million in party funds may be dissolved even though they may have announced that they would compete in the junta’s election nationwide. Such parties should cooperate with each other, and if they do not cooperate with each other, they will be dissolved. In other words, many political parties — both those that oppose SAC and those that do not — will be dissolved, so the political space will shrink. 

DMG: Which political parties will be favoured by this new law?

U Ye Tun: The military’s proxy USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party], National Unity Party and PPP [People’s Pioneer Party], led by the junta-appointed minister Daw Thet Thet Khaing, will be able to continue to register their parties because they will compete in the election nationwide. Most political parties are financially strapped, unable to organise 100,000 party members within three months, unable to compete in half of the 330 constituencies; even if they are not abolished, they may register to compete in only one region, with the stipulation that they will only conduct political activities in one region.

DMG: What kind of effects could there be for the ethnic political parties?

U Ye Tun: Among the ethnic parties, the parties that can cover an entire province and be organised will have no problem, but it will be difficult for the parties of small ethnic groups to compete in the elections. But this difficulty is not as great as the political parties that will compete in the entire Union, and the parties that will focus on the regions where the Burmese live.