Burma's
key opposition party, the National League for Democracy led by the
detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been officially
dissolved for failing to register on time to compete in the in November
7 general election, according to junta's television reports on 14
September.
People
noticed that this dissolution order was issued by junta's boss after
he arrived back from a five-day official visit to China. The Burmese
ruling military leader paid glowing tribute to China on September 12. During a five-day official visit, Beijing granted
reassurance that it will not support any group that performs
anti-government activities along their common border. Also the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Than Shwe and Hu Jintao had particularly thrashed out the forthcoming elections of Myanmar.
The
Junta's Union Election Commission (UEC) issued Notification No.
97/2010 dated 14 September in which five
political parties have become null and void according to the law as they did not
apply for continued existence as political parties within the prescribed
days.
Five
parties which no longer have the right for continued existence as
political parties are (a) Union Pa-O National Organization, (b) Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy, (c) Shan State Kokang Democratic
Party, (d) "Wa" National Development Party and (e) National League for
Democracy.
The
above five parties, including the NLD, were abolished by the current
UEC for failing to re-register for continuation as political parties
within the set days. However, the UEC has no authority to do this as
their existence as political parties was made official by the 1990
election commission, said NLD spokesman Nyan Win.
In
March, the NLD leaders filed a lawsuit against military chief Senior
General Than Shwe at the country's supreme court stating the regime's
election laws are unjust and biased. But the court refused to hear the
case, saying it had no power over the issue. The NLD won a landslide
victory in 1990, but the junta never allowed it to take office.
In
May this year, the NLD refused to register for elections and
announced that the proposed elections are not free and fair.
The
junta-sponsored November 7 elections will be held for 330 civilian
seats in the 440-member House of Representatives. Under the 2008
Constitution and military personnel will be appointed to the remaining
110 seats. In the 224-seat House of Nationalities, 168 will be elected
and 56 will be appointed by the chief of the armed forces. Retired
generals who get elected are not counted as part of this military's
quota. In total, there will be more than 1,150 seats in the national
and regional parliaments to be elected by the people.
Moreover,
State Television said five more political parties - out of 42 which
were initially allowed to register to run in the November 7 poll - were
dissolved because they failed to meet requirements on registering
candidates. The election has been widely condemned by activists and the
West as a charade aimed at putting a civilian face on military rule.
Opposition
parties say they have not been able to enter as many candidates as
they want because of restrictive election laws and high registration
fees. Pro-democracy critics in Burma say the election is a sham, and
that the military shows little sign of giving up control.
It
was the first time state media announced the NLD's dissolution.
However, Burma's pro-democracy opposition party NLD protested against its
dissolution by the junta for its refusal to reregister in the
upcoming election.
"The UEC has no authoritative power over the parties which did not
register with it," the NLD's spokesman Nyan Win told reporters at the
party's headquarters.
The
NLD also has abided by the 1988 political party registration law,
under which it was created. If the NLD breached the said law it would
give explanation for its dissolution, he added. No one knows what will
happen in the future but NLD will go forward with its course of action,
Nyan Win told the media.
The
authorities are still checking upon the NLD as a main political party,
even though the UEC declared the dissolution of the party. All the NLD
senior leaders are under regular scrutiny and closely watched. Despite
the ban broadcast, there was no urgent action against the NLD by
military authorities, NLD spokesperson said.
On
15 September, local police took position around the NLD H.Q. in
Rangoon and started taking photographs of the party members who visited
there.
The
Union Election Commission said 37 other parties would take part in the
election. Campaigning can carry on from September 24 through October
30. Yet, political parties must abstain from making speeches that
"tarnish the image" of the armed forces.
Nevertheless,
detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has declared that
people have the right not to vote, and her National League for
Democracy party is boycotting the election.
UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed "concern" over the Burmese
military junta's move to ban 10 political parties in the run-up to the
November general election.
The
secretary-general once again urges the Burmese authorities to ensure
conditions conducive to a fully inclusive and participatory electoral
process, Martin Nesirky, a spokesperson for the secretary-general, told
reporters at daily press conference at the UN headquarters in New York
on 15 September.
But, Ban's stance looks like a vain attempt as the rogue junta has paid no heed to him at all. A
ministerial-level meeting of the Group of Friends of Myanmar is
expected to be held in New York on Sept. 27 on the sidelines of the UN
General Assembly. Details of the meeting are still being worked out,
Nesirky said.
Meanwhile,
the junta's newspapers cautions that those who are found guilty of
obstructing the people from voting face a sentence of one-year
imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 kyat ($100).
The
UEC has not done anything on electoral education for voters so far.
With no election in 20 years, most people have no idea of how the
voting process works.
On
7 September, China defended the upcoming elections as Burma's internal
affair and urged other countries not to interfere. China's Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that the international community can provide
constructive help to the upcoming election and refrain from making any
negative impact on the domestic political process and the regional
peace and stability.
It
is clearly evident that China is interfering and exploiting Burma's
internal affairs. China should support the oppressed people of Burma
who live under the military dictatorship, but it helps the tyrannical
dictators for its national interests. Burmese people condemn Jiang Yu's
call as morally corrupt.
To
some analysts, China is weakening due to the diplomatic attempts by
ASEAN and the United Nations. Some diplomatic efforts to address
Burma's political deadlock and to facilitate the release of Aung San Suu
Kyi had been vetoed by China at the UN meetings.
To the people of Burma, China is not only a great blockage to their freedom but also a neo-colonialist under a friendship mask.
