Myanmar’s military regime on Monday promulgated a second amendment to the Political Parties Registration Law, allowing the dissolution of any party accused of electoral fraud or unlawful conduct during voting.
Observers say the move is designed to minimize the risk from potential challengers as the regime takes every measure necessary to secure victory in its planned December poll.
Enacted by the junta in 2023, the new Political Parties Registration Law required national parties to recruit at least 100,000 members within 90 days of their registration being approved, and open offices in at least half of the country’s 330 townships within six months.
More importantly, it required all existing political parties to re-register with the junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC). The National League for Democracy, which won a 2020 election landslide only to be ousted by the military on baseless electoral fraud claims, was subsequently dissolved along with other major pro-democracy parties, including the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy.
Last year, the regime introduced its first amendment to the law, reducing required membership to 50,000 and the number of offices to 110 or one-third of townships. However, it extended the deadline, giving parties up until three months before Election Day to meet the requirements.
Regional parties, meanwhile, must recruit at least 1,000 members and have offices in at least five of their state or region’s townships.
National parties must contest in at least half of constituencies, while regional parties must contest in at least one.
Failure to meet membership or office-number requirements is punishable by dissolution. The same penalty applies to any party that engages, directly or indirectly, with “terrorist” individuals or organizations – a label the regime uses for any element challenging its rule, including the parallel National Unity Government and ethnic armed groups.
While these provisions appear sufficient to secure electoral victory for the regime – eliminating its major rival, the NLD, and ensuring any candidate can be disqualified – it has now devised another rule as insurance against defeat.
The junta’s election body has so far approved the registration of 57 parties. Nine, including the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), will contest nationally and the remainder will run in state or regional contests. The USDP has voiced its readiness to contest the poll, while other pro-regime outfits like the People’s Party (PP), People’s Pioneer Party, and Shan and Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) have been allowed to open offices in junta-controlled zones.
The UEC claimed last month that voting would go ahead in 267 out of the country’s 330 townships. The regime has intensified efforts to recapture lost territories in the past few months, succeeding in retrieving a handful of towns.
Election campaigning is expected to start in mid-September.
While many other pro-junta parties are still busy opening offices, the USDP’s chairman Khin Yi and other leaders have been pressing the flesh in key regions including Mandalay, Yangon, Bago, and Naypyitaw, donating supplies to displaced civilians in a bid to win votes.
The election plan has been denounced by western countries, the civilian National Unity Government, and other pro-democracy groups as a sham to entrench military rule. Meanwhile the junta’s allies and arms suppliers – China, Russia and Belarus – as well as Thailand, Cambodia and India have expressed support for the poll.
