USDP 'violating electoral law in poaching rival party members'

Wednesday, 21 July 2010 19:07 Salai Tun

New Delhi (Mizzima) - The Rangoon-based Union Democracy Party (UDP) alleges the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is attempting to poach their party members by promising road repairs in their localities in exchange for political support.

The USDP has in recent days targeted the townships of Dagon and Hlaing Thar Yar via making use of local Ward Peace and Development Council (PDC) authorities.

“We heard this news when we visited these places for our party organizational works. The USDP ordered Ward PDC members to recruit new party members for them, 20 to 30 from each street. And then they promised they would repair the roads in the locality if the local people join their party. After getting some party members they repaired some roads there. In this way, local authorities of the Ward PDC had to fulfill their quota in recruiting new party members for the USDP,” UDP Chairman Phyo Min Thein told Mizzima.

“No party can act like this. The USDP uses municipal committee funds in road repairs. This fund is taxpayer money and state funds. It is no party’s fund. They should not do like that. The electoral law also prohibits any political party from using public servants,” he added.

Similarly, in Chin State too the USDP is organizing people in the capital of Hakha and town of Falam by promising they will build a reservoir, provide adequate electrical power and medicine if people join their party, related a leader from an ethnic Chin political party.

Phyo Min Thein said that utilizing local public servants in party organizational work is a violation of the Union Election Commission Law.

“The law stipulates that public servants must stay away from party politics and prohibits the use of public servants. But in reality, they are violating this law. The USPD acts as if they are the winning party in forcing the locality to enact their party activities,” he said.

A leader from another ethnic Chin party said, “All political parties recognized by the Election Commission have equal rights and no one has privileged rights. But the USDP is using local authorities in their party organizational works. The municipal committee has to repair roads for them. This is a violation of the Election Commission Law.”

The USDP is further active in recruitment through the promise of public works in Mon, Kachin and Shan States.