Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 18 Scenes
MoeMaKa, March 19 2023
Does the decision of the SNLD party not to re-register for the election reflect the political opinion of the people of Myanmar?
According to news reports, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party, which can be said to be the third most powerful political party in Myanmar, has decided not to re-register as a political party to compete in the junta-held election in the current situation.
According to the new political party registration law enacted by the military council, March 28 is set as the last date to re-register as a political party, which means that, according to this, political parties that do not re-register are no longer legal. Other political parties decided to re-register based on the facts that they worried about no longer being able to stand as a political party if they did not re-register, and another fact is that they aimed to compete in the election that is still not exactly known when it will be held, supervised by the Union Election Committee established by the military council. The SNLD has decided that it shouldn’t re-register in the current situation.
It is true that if a party does not register, it will no longer be able to continue to stand as a political party during the military council’s regime, but by re-registering, it implies that that party is following the new political party registration law with stricter restrictions, amended by the military council.
During the previous military regime in 2010, the SNLD was also not registered when political parties were urged to register to compete in the election to be held in 2010. It was registered as a political party only after 2012. At the time of the 2010 election, most of the SNLD leadership was still in prison. During that time, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), also known as the White Tiger Party or Kya Phyu Party, led by Sai Ai Pao, was established and contested the 2010 election. In 2011-2012, after all political prisoners were released with amnesty, the SNLD was re-registered, and it re-emerged as the strongest political party in Shan State and the third-biggest political party in Myanmar.
Although the current situation is not identical to that of 2010, it is comparable to that period when it was not registered.
The SNLD might consider that, as a political party, the political soul is more important than being legal or not under the existing law. Registering as a political party under the current context of lack of freedom and justice and being willing to compete in the election to be held under such circumstances, is considered encroaching on the sturdiness of the party’s stance politically. In a situation where armed conflicts are taking place everywhere during the military council’s regime, it is necessary to think whether the right to stand legally as a political party is more important than anything else.
Although Shan State cannot be said to be greatly involved in the armed conflict, Shan ethnic people live in some areas of Southern Shan State, some regions of Kayah State, in the upper part of Sagaing Division, and bordering regions with Kachin State, and there are widespread armed conflicts in these areas.
Therefore, the decision of the SNLD not to register is a decision made based on its political stance and whether political parties have the right to act and organize freely or not. It can be considered that they have already answered the question of whether the election comes first or the stance of a party and the trust of the public.