New Political Party Registration Rule aims to prevent repeat of 2020 election controversies
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Htet Nadi/ Thet Paing (NP News) - Aug 12
Dr. Aye Maung, chairman of the Arakan Front Party (AFP), told The Statesman that the newly added clause to the rules for registering political parties is to prevent a recurrence of the 2020 election irregularities and to warn major political parties.
Rule 15 of the law outlines the grounds for cancellation of party registration, including any action that undermines the integrity of the Union, national unity, and the sustainability of sovereignty; any action that undermines the rule of law and peace; and failure to respect and comply with the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and existing laws.
Following sub-rule (j), a new sub-rule (k) has been added, stating a condition that the commission has found evidence of voter fraud and illegal practices committed in the election.
“When a party becomes the authorized government, it’s as if they can no longer see anything. That’s when they start forgetting to be cautious and careful. This reference is meant to prevent such situations from happening. The main point is to remind the parties in power, especially the major ones, not to engage in unfair practices or abuse power. The warning is directed more at the big parties than at the smaller or medium ones,” said Dr. Aye Maung.
Furthermore, he noted that due to the absence of such legislation, voter frauds were encountered in the 2020 general election, which may explain why the law has now been revised to prevent similar occurrences.
“The NLD tried to find a solution after the 2020 election without convening the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. They tried to convene the Hluttaw with new members. That’s why the State Administration Council (SAC) came into existence. When it was formed, the SAC expressed that there were 11 million voter frauds. So, when the SAC came into being, they had some considerations. The first thing is that the voter lists need to be accurate. They would verify these lists. They would examine the ballot papers. Then they said that they would check the illegal activities. That’s how they are trying to amend the Political Party Registration Law,” Dr. Aye Maung said.