One third of NLD offices reopen

Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:00 Phanida

Chaing Mai (Mizzima) - Burma's military junta has allowed about one hundred of the three hundred nation wide branch offices belonging to the National League for Democracy (NLD) to reopen, NLD Central Executive Committee member Win Tin said.

“They informed us yesterday that we could reopen”, Win Tin told Mizzima.

The Mandalay division NLD office opened this morning after the local head of the District Peace and Development Council unsealed the premise. The official was formerly head of Mandalay Division's Election Commission.

The new Election Commission Law issued March 8th cancelled both the previous national Election Commission and the old local Election Commission. Today much of the unsealing of the closed NLD offices was done by members of the now defunct local Election Commissions.

Mizzima has learned that a dispute arose today between the local Election Commission and local NLD leaders over the reopening of the Yemaethin Township office in Mandalay Division. The local election commission turned down the NLD's request to allow their office to reopen claiming that the party does not have the minimum 5 members present in the area to enable them to have a legal office. Mizzima was informed today by the NLD, that there are in fact 13 registered NLD members in Yemaethin Township and therefore the party office should be allowed to open.