The Women Party (Mon), which was dissolved by the junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC), says it will continue efforts to revive their party standing despite being barred from contesting in the upcoming election.
On September 9th, the junta commission announced the dissolution of four political parties, including the Woman Party (Mon), citing a failure to meet the required number of party members.
“The Woman Party (Mon) will keep working for survival. Not being allowed to contest the election doesn’t affect us much. We didn’t form the party to gain seats or become ministers, our aim is simply to represent and reach our Mon people. So we won’t lose heart. To revive the party, we’ll need to seek permission from the elders again and reapply. We will continue to work for that, although it won’t happen in time for this election,” said Mi Than Shin, Chair of the Woman Party (Mon).
She added that although the party had previously met the required membership and office numbers, technical problems with phone lines delayed the submission of registration numbers for some offices, causing them to miss a deadline.
According to the law, parties were required to submit proof of compliance with membership and office requirements to the UEC by September 7th. The Woman (Mon) Party had offices in Yangon Region and Ayeyarwady Region, but some documentation was not submitted on time.
“We admit we failed to meet the election deadline, but that should only mean we’re not allowed to contest. Dissolving the entire party feels unfair. It seems they may have made a mistake in doing so,” Mi Than Shin said.
The other parties that were dissolved include the National Democratic Force Party (NDF), the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP), and the Union Farmer-Labour Force Party.
The junta commission has announced that the first phase of its election will be held in December. Opposition forces, however, have called on the public to resist the vote.
