New Age People’s Party denies financial support from USDA

Sunday, 11 April 2010 18:46 Min Thet

Rangoon (Mizzima) - The New Age People’s Party leaders, keen on contesting the election, have denied taking financial support from the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA).
The USDA and New Age People’s Party have a good rapport. Both cooperate with the Chairman of the Rangoon City Development Committee Brigadier General Aung Thein Lin to provide social service to people. The rumour emanated because of this. The New Age People’s Party has flatly denied it.

“We are just cooperating in the sphere of social work and have never accepted any kind of financial support from them,” a Central Committee member of New Age People’s Party, Aung Myint said. He added that they will raise party funds from authorized businesses, including the auction business.

“Our party funds come from membership fees. Moreover, we ask for donations from private citizens,” the chairman of New Age People’s Party, Htun Aung Kyaw said.

Though the leaders of the party denied the rumour, many Rangoon citizens believe that they are being supported by the Rangoon City Mayor.

The Mayor is in-charge of the USDA Rangoon Division and he has been cooperating with the leaders of the New Age People’s Party in carrying out social services such as opening free schools and clinics, and building roads prior to the Referendum on the Constitution in May 2008, members of the USDA Rangoon Division said.

An employee of the Rangoon City Development Committee said, “I know them. They joined the Mayor and USDA. I read the news in the state-run newspaper that New Age People’s Party has registered as a political party and I also noticed that the members of the party are from the team that cooperated with the USDA.”

The party is derived from the new age political economics students’ group formed in October 1980. It registered under the name “New Age People’s Party” with the Election Commission on April 6.

The USDA was formed on 15 September 1993 to provide social services with its patron being junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe.