The Union Betterment Party (UBP), led by the former Speaker of the first Pyithu Hluttaw retired Gen. Thura U Shwe Mann, is already in the process of canceling its registration as a political party, according to people close to the UBP party.
“I have heard that the party will be submitted to the UEC for dissolution about two weeks ago. I don't know whether the party dissolution is being submitted to the UEC or not yet,” said a person close to the UBP party.
U Saw Hla Tun, member of the Central Executive Committee of the UBP and the party chair for Sagaing Region wrote on his social media page on October 11 that the party is already working to be dissolved.
The daily eleven contacted to the spokesperson of the commission and officials of the UBP to learn about the party dissolution which is being submitted to the UEC or not is yet to be known as there are reports that the UBP has already been canceled from being registered as a political party, but there was no reply.
On April 8, 2019, the founders of the UBP applied for party registration to the UEC, and on April 25, the UEC approved the registration as a political party. The party headquarters was opened at Thura U Shwe Mann’s house in Nay Pyi Taw.
The UBP competed in the 2020 general election, but did not win any parliamentary seats, and the party's chairman, Thura U Shwe Mann, did not contest in the election.
Former General Thura U Shwe Mann, who served as the Joint Chief of Staff of the Army, Navy, and Air Force during the State Peace and Development Council government, competed in 2010 general election held under the 2008 Constitution as a representative of the Zeyathiri Township Constituency by representing Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and was elected as the Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw for the first time.
Although he ran in the general election held in 2015 and did not win, Thura U Shwe Mann, who was close to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the NLD government era, was assigned as the chairman of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission.
Before the 2020 general election, the renewal of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission, chaired by Thura U Shwe Mann during the establishment of the UBP, was rejected by the second regular session of the Union Parliament which was included the majority of the NLD parliamentarians.
