The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) formed the ethnic affairs committee led by two ethnic chief ministers and one lower house MP.
The formation of the ethnic affairs committee came according to the decision arrived at the NLD’s two-day CEC meeting in Yangon.
Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, Vice-Chair-2 of the NLD said: “At the central committee meeting on 21 and 22 September, the CEC members from the regions and states suggested that the CEC should have a strategic measure to make the emergency response to the situation in which ethnic parties in the ethnic areas would not run for seats in the election individually like before.”
“We will form the ethnic affairs committee with real ethnic people. All of you will notice the fact that in the 2015 election, there was no government as colourful as the NLD. The lower house speaker is Kachin, deputy speaker, Rakhine, the upper house speaker, Kayin and the vice-president, is Christian. Take a look at the selection of region and state chief ministers, priority is given to the ethic affairs in the relevant regions and states. We pay special attention to the ethnic affairs,” Dr. Zaw Myint Maung said.
The ethnic affairs committee will be chaired by Lower House MP Inhtone Khar Naw from Myitkyina Township in Kachin State while CEC members Kayin State Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint and Rakhine State Chief Minister Nyi Pu will act as members. The CEC members from other regions and states will also include in the committee, he added.
On September 23, Sai Nyunt Lwin, vice-chair of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) wrote a post on his facebook: “I don’t know whether there are fake ethnics or not as the committee will be formed with real ethnics.”
On September 23, Former Information Minister Ye Htut wrote a comment on his facebook: “I think the party should make strenuous efforts to earn the trust of those who got arrested for their opposition to the statue, those who had disputes over the naming of bridge, those who were unable to form the government despite the majority votes in parliament, those excluded due to the lack of victory in the election in the time of the NLD despite the fact that all official parties shall include according to the NCA and those who have a view that it has to tackle the state affairs, dancing to the tune of foreigners.”
The NLD experienced losses in most of constituencies in Rakhine and Shan States though it could form the government thanks to the landslide victory in 2015 General Election.
The NLD faced losses in ethnic constituencies like Kachin, Mon, Shan and Rakhine States in the by-elections in 2017 and 2018.
Maung Maung Soe, the political and ethnic affairs analyst said: “It is difficult to predict the 2020 election. The NLD may get good results in the regions. The people’s support for the NLD may continue to decline in the states.
