NLD Sends First Delegation to Discuss Federal Union with Myanmar’s Ethnic Parties

By Zin Lin Htet 30 December 2020

Naypyitaw — A National League for Democracy (NLD) delegation set off for Kachin State on Tuesday for talks on federalization with ethnic-minority political parties, said the party’s vice-chair, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung. 

Dr. Aung Moe Nyo, a party secretary and Magwe Region chief minister, Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint of the party’s ethnic affairs committee and Karen State chief minister, and Ntung Hka Naw Sam, the committee’s chair, are leading the trip.

“They will meet the state NLD executive committee and campaign team first and then meet all the newly elected parliamentarians for the state before holding talks with ethnic groups,” Dr. Zaw Myint Maung told reporters in Naypyitaw. 

The team is then set to travel to Mon State. “They will submit reports on their two trips and then the central executive committee [CEC] will instruct them on where to go next,” said the vice-chair. 

The NLD decided to start talks in Kachin State because of the party’s popularity in the northern state, he said. The team is not authorized to make decisions on behalf of the party, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung added. 

“We have not given them a full mandate. They are tasked with conveying the voices of ethnic parties to us. And we will consider and make decisions based on their reports,” said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung. 

Following its Nov. 8 election victory, the NLD issued statements calling on 48 ethnic political parties to join renewed talks on federalization. The party then formed a team on Dec. 12 to hold discussions with ethnic parties. 

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

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