Myanmar NLD splinter group puts up application for new party formation

YANGON, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A group of ex-senior members of the dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) have put up application for party formation and registration for running the coming multi-party general election this year, the state newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

Under the name of "National Democratic Force (NDF)", the NLD splinter group put up the application with the government-assigned Union Election Commission.

Whether the new party will be granted for formation and running the election remains observed.

Blaming the commission's party registration law as "unjust", the NLD refused to re-register as a political party to enter the planned election until May 6, an ultimatum set by the commission.

Knowing that it will become invalid after the set date according to the party registration law, the NLD disbanded itself.

So far, the election commission has granted formation of 31 new political parties out of 34 seeking for registration and five old political parties seeking for re-registration for election purpose.

Of the 31 new political parties granted, the 27-core-member Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by Prime Minister U Thein Sein, is transformed from the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a previous social organization supported by the government.

U Thein Sein, along with 26 other ministers or deputy ministers, quit their military posts but not government posts for entering into political arena as civilians' status.

Although a provision of the party registration law restricts that state service personnel shall not be organized in political parties, the commission insisted that the formation of the USDP by in-post government ministers to take part in the election is "in conformity with the law", introducing a new term -- "ministers are political posts, not state service personnel" to support its legitimacy.

The commission said after the completion of the scrutiny of party registration, the election date will be announced.

Source: Xinhua News