Friday, 04 November 2011 22:16 Myo Thant
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Burma’s state-run TV announced on Friday that President Thein Sein has signed a law that amends three key areas of the Political Party Registration Law.
Both houses of the Burmese Parliament had previously approved the amendments.
There was a change in the wording that all political parties must "protect" the country's Constitution. It was amended to "respect" the Constitution.
The new law cancelled two clauses: a clause that restricted serving prisoners from being a member of a political party and a clause that said a political party needs to contest in at least three parliamentary seats in an election.
Last week, Mizzima reported that political observers said the amendments were designed to pave the way for the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), to re-register as a political party. The NLD decided not to re-register to run in the 2010 election, saying there were elements in the 2008 Constitution that were not democratic.
Recently. Aung San Suu Kyi, the general-secretary of the National League for Democracy, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that her party would consider re-registration after studying the amended registration law.
"This depends very much on the regulations with regard to the registration of political parties. Once that [bill] has passed, then we will be able to decide whether or not we will reregister,” she told the newspaper.
Both Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD party Vice Chairman Tin Oo were under house when the former military regime announced the election and party registration law.
There have been intense debates within the National League for Democracy, which would have had to oust many of its members who were imprisoned, if it wanted to re-register as a party. The decision not to re-register led to some top party leaders breaking away from the NLD to form a new political party, the National Democratic Force, which won 16 parliamentary seats in the 2010 November election.
The NLD is expected to meet within days to consider re-registering as a political party.
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Burma’s state-run TV announced on Friday that President Thein Sein has signed a law that amends three key areas of the Political Party Registration Law.
Both houses of the Burmese Parliament had previously approved the amendments.
There was a change in the wording that all political parties must "protect" the country's Constitution. It was amended to "respect" the Constitution.
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| Burmese President Thein Sein in traditional dress. He signed a law amending the Political Party Registration Law, which is seen as paving the way for the NLD to register as a political party. Photo: Mizzima |
The new law cancelled two clauses: a clause that restricted serving prisoners from being a member of a political party and a clause that said a political party needs to contest in at least three parliamentary seats in an election.
Last week, Mizzima reported that political observers said the amendments were designed to pave the way for the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), to re-register as a political party. The NLD decided not to re-register to run in the 2010 election, saying there were elements in the 2008 Constitution that were not democratic.
Recently. Aung San Suu Kyi, the general-secretary of the National League for Democracy, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that her party would consider re-registration after studying the amended registration law.
"This depends very much on the regulations with regard to the registration of political parties. Once that [bill] has passed, then we will be able to decide whether or not we will reregister,” she told the newspaper.
Both Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD party Vice Chairman Tin Oo were under house when the former military regime announced the election and party registration law.
There have been intense debates within the National League for Democracy, which would have had to oust many of its members who were imprisoned, if it wanted to re-register as a party. The decision not to re-register led to some top party leaders breaking away from the NLD to form a new political party, the National Democratic Force, which won 16 parliamentary seats in the 2010 November election.
The NLD is expected to meet within days to consider re-registering as a political party.
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