Political parties including NLD will be abolished if found breaking law: UEC

Political parties including NLD will be abolished if found breaking law: UEC
Published 13 June 2021
EMG

According to Union Election Commission (UEC) member U Khin Maung Oo, all political parties including the NLD will be abolished if found to be breaking the law, as per stipulations within Section 408 of the constitution.

A reporter had asked had asked a question at the State Administration Council press conference on June 12, of whether the UEC will be carrying out the claims that the UEC's chairman had said before on abolishing the National League for Democracy. 

"It is the UEC's job, as stated in the constitution as well as the commission's laws, to register the political parties and keep them in check and if needed, to punish and abolish them. There are oaths that parties had to take and rules to follow. For example, Section 10 requires that any those that committed (felonies) cannot remain in the party.  There are several sections that parties need to be aware and adhere to such as section 12(a) or Section 15. If they were found to have breached section 407 of the constitution, political parties law 12(a) and 15, it means that action will be taken according to the law. It is not only the NLD that will be demonished but all parties if the UEC finds them to be breaking the law," said U Khin Maung Oo.

On May 24, the UEC submitted a list of all political parties and its central executives to the Home Affairs Ministry for checks.

"Recruitment of new party members also has to adhere to Section 10 of political parties and if the new recruits are found to be not in line, they will have to be removed from the party. A political party, if found to be in breach of Section 12(a) and its by-laws, will be abolished. It ist he same for Section 15. I would like to say that the UEC has been executing actions as per (UEC)'s responsibilities and in line with extant laws," continued U Khin Maung Oo.

He also further explained that it is the UEC's responsibility to supervise political parties, that the parties must respect and adhere to the 2008 constitution, how the constitution section 407 states that one breach of a law means that the party cannot continue to exist,  that Chapter 3 of political party registeration law states that founders of the party must be in line with the content of Section 4 and so on.