July Chai – Yesterday, the newly registered Mon Democracy Party (MDP) called an emergency Central Committee meeting to discuss establishing offices in various townships of Mon State.
Nai Soe Myint confirmed that 43 members of the MDP Central Committee attended the meeting.
“We plan to open offices in various Townships. We primarily discussed which Townships we will open offices in and who will have that responsibility.”
Currently, MDP general headquarters have been under construction on Rajahtirat Street in Myaing Thar Yar Quarters, Moulmein.
Nai Soe Myint said he expects to open MDP temporary headquarters in his house, and that they will hold an official opening ceremony on July 22.
After opening its headquarters and Township offices, Nai Soe Myint said the party will collect the names of 1,000 MDP members to submit to the Union Election Commission (UEC) as the final step in securing official party registration.
On July 10, the UEC formally announced in the official State newspaper, Myanma Alin, that it will accept MDP as a political party in accordance with Party Registration Law, Article No. 9, order no. 34/2012.
MDP was formerly known as the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) and won five seats in the 1990 elections. In February 2012, the MDP was reformed under honorable Patron Nai Tun Thein. Its leadership includes Chairman Nai Ngwe Thein, Vice-Chairman Nai Tin Aung, General Secretary Dr. Min Soe Lin, Joint General Secretary 1 Dr. Min Kyi Win, and Joint General Secretary 2 Min Soe Win or Mon Ra Jah. The party was formed with 54 members in the Central Committee.
In Mon State, there are two Mon political parties, the MDP and the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP) formed in 2010.
Mon civil society is pressuring the two parties to merge for fear that Mon politicians will not win seats in the 2015 elections if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) also vies for votes in Mon State.
