Arakan National Party politicians who are not allowed to resign from the party because of an usual new rule will likely contest seats as independent candidates after receiving the blessing of the Union Election Commission. 

Commission member Thet Tun said earlier this month that party members who have not been allowed to resign would be breaking the law if they ran for a rival party.

“However… running as an independent candidate to maintain their chances of being elected cannot be considered as an infringement,” he said, responding to a question from ANP lawmaker Ba Shein at a parliamentary meeting. 

Upper House representative Htoot May says she will run independently to contest the Rakhine Ethnic Affairs minister’s seat.

mmnowelectionads.jpg

“I’m a bit upset that the ANP isn’t letting me resign,” she told Myanmar Now. 

“This is a transition period when everyone should be negotiating and having discussions. The party is unable to do that internally. And the entire Rakhine public will be watching this,” she said.

Nine lawmakers have applied to quit the ANP. They are: Dr Aye Maung, Kyaw Kyaw, who has since died, Khin Maung Latt, Htoot May, Wai Sein Aung, Aung Thaung Shwe, Kyaw Zaw Oo, Kyaw Lwin and Khin Maung Htay.

Khin Maung Latt and Kyaw Zaw Oo also say they are likely to run independently.

“From the Union Election Commission’s response to U Ba Shein’s question, it seems like we’re in a position to run,” Kyaw Zaw Oo said.

The ANP is the biggest of the three main political parties in Rakhine. The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), and the Arakan Front Party (AFP) were founded or relaunched by people who quit or were removed from the ANP.

The ANP decided at a meeting in May 2019 that members who have applied for resignations will not be allowed to leave until the end of the current parliamentary term.

Although Htoot May’s resignation was rejected, she rejoined the ALD, while other Hluttaw representatives are cooperating with the AFP.

The ALD, which was the winning party in Rakhine in the 1990 general election, merged with the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party before the 2015 poll to form the Arakan National Party.

The ANP won 22 out of 35 seats in Rakhine’s regional legislature and secured 22 seats in the national parliament; 10 in the lower house and 12 in the upper house. 

Party grandee Dr Zaw Aye Maung also holds a regional seat as Ethnic Affairs minister.

After the election, tensions among party members led to many resigning or being fired. Some relaunched the ALD while others founded the AFP.

Aye Nu Sein, an ANP spokesperson, said earlier this month that the party is confident it will maintain its dominant position in Rakhine state, and considered the NLD its main competition.