MDP registration approved

Min Thu Ta – Today, state-run newspapers yesterday reported that the Mon Democratic Party (MDP) was officially registered.

According to announcement (34/2012) from Naypyidaw’s Union Election Commission, the MDP main office located at No. (181) Rajadirit Street, Myine Thar Yar Ward, Moulmein Township, Mon State was approved as an official political party on July 10th, according to the Political Registration Act No. 9. The MDP’s registration number is 58.

Nai Soe Myint, second leader of the Party Registration Team, said, “The announcement letter from the [Union Election] Commission requires that at least a thousand party members join within ninety days and that we report the list of names to the Commission. We had already prepared for that.”

To collect the necessary number of party members, the central committee coordinated township organizing committee members in predominantly Mon villages as well as townships in Mon and Karen States, according to Nai Soe Myint.

Dr. Min Kyi Win, Joint Secretary No (1) of the MDP, said, “During the 1990 elections, our party had more than ten thousand members in some townships. We don’t need to worry about collecting a thousand party members to [finalize] the registration.”

Formerly called the Mon National Democratic Front, and a member of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP), the party was banned after contesting in the 1990 elections. In April of this year, the party applied for registration under the new name “Mon Democratic Party (MDP).”

The MDP was formed with 54 central committee members, including 15 central executive committee members, including Honorable Patorn Nai Tun Thein, Chairman Nai Ngwe Thein, Vice-chairman (1) Nai Thet Lwin, Vice-chairman (2) Nai Tin Aung, General Secretary Dr Min Soe Linn, Joint Secretary (1) Dr. Min Kyi Win and Joint Secretary (2) Min Soe Win (aka Mon Raja).