Reported by Arkar, The Mon advocacy group assisting Mon nationals to succeed in the elections has dissolved after the group carried out its responsibilities
for the Mon people. The news comes from the Independent Association for the Victory of Mon Nationals in Elections, which is commonly known as M23 Group as it is comprised 23 members.
M23 was established on April 23, 2015, with the objective of aiding various Mon candidates to be elected in the 2015 elections. After four meetings, M23 was officially founded on May 19, and it continued its duties up until election day.
The story behind M23 is linked to the two major Mon parties. The All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP) and the Mon National Party (MNP), would compete for constituencies in Mon areas without negotiating with each other.
M23 leaders requested the two Mon parties’ representatives negotiate for a better chance in the elections but the party representatives did not listen. Instead, they went ahead with their policies and competed in the elections.
Although the two parties resisted negotiations, the M23 continued advocating for the best achievement in the elections. This took the form of receiving advice from leaders who won the 1990 election and the 2010 election, organizing musicians for campaigning, providing workshops on how to vote and pre-electing the candidates based on Mon people’s opinions.
However, the election results did not turn out well and the Mon parties were wiped out in the elections.
“Because we have two Mon parties, the votes were separated. Some voters were unsure, and they didn’t cast votes. I can truly say that all leaders of the two Mon parties are responsible for this. I want all of the parties’ leaders to take responsibility for the fact that Mons lost votes in the elections,” said Nai Minn Minn Nwe, a spokesperson of M23.
“They already know that if they do that, this will happen, but they still continue to do it. So, it is not just that many Mon candidates are not elected to represent us at Hluttaw. But it is also that they lose in politics. Now, because Mon people, Mon youth and Mon women lose in the elections, they do not want to even talk with one another as they feel unhappy. This is very dangerous for the future of Mon national politics,” continued Nai Minn Minn Nwe.
In 2015 election, 35 candidates of All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) competed but only one candidate was elected. Of 53 candidates from Mon National Party (MNP), three candidates were elected, while no candidate from the four candidates of Women’s Party (Mon) were elected.
In 1990 elections, 19 candidates of MNP (under its former name Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) at the time) competed and 5 candidates were elected. In 2010 election, the AMDP competed in the elections with 34 candidates and 16 candidates were elected.
