Friday, February 10, 2012

The election will offer ‘intense rivalries’: NUP

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Friday, 10 February 2012 21:37 Nyi Thit

(Mizzima) – The National Unity Party (NUP says its main competitors in the by-election will be the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the National League for Democracy (NLD). It expects a hard fought election.

Joint General-Secretary Khin Maung Gyi said, “This by-election will be different than the 2010 general elections. Besides our party, a big party like the NLD will also contest. Also, the smaller parties that contested in the 2010 election are stronger. There will be intense rivalry.”

The NUP contested for 995 parliamentary seats in the 2010 elections. It is the second largest party after the ruling USDP. The NUP won 61 seats.

The party now has about 700,000 members; it will contest in 23 constituencies in the April 1 by-election.

This election will reflect the real desires of people, he said, and there cannot be any electoral fraud like in the 2010 elections, he said.

“The electoral commission has been reformed,” he said. “And the parties will manage to watch carefully to avoid electoral fraud.” He all the parties need to educate people to understand the voting system in order to avoid invalid votes.

“People need to avoid spoilt votes. Parties should prepare the voters,” Khin Maung Gyi said.

He welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi’s decision to stand for the by-election and said this is the era of women. A female NUP candidate will run in the Mingalar Taung Nyunt constituency in Rangoon.

If Aung San Suu Kyi can enter the Parliament, the situation can change depending on her leadership and motions, he said.

He would not comment on the NUP ideas about amending the 2008 Constitution.

The NUP, formed in 1988, has many retired top military officers in leadership posts. It is a reincarnation of the Burma Socialist Programme Party.         

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