The Mon Progressive Party (MPP), an ethnic Mon political party, is preparing to run candidates in Karen State, in the upcoming elections organized by the Military Commission.
Min Tun Lwin of the Mon Progressive Party said that whether they win or not depends on the voters, but unlike in past elections, the level of competition and public interest has declined.
“Winning or losing in an election mainly depends on the voters—their views, beliefs, and convictions. And things aren’t the same as before. The situation has changed with time, so it’s not like 2020 anymore. The competition isn’t the same. Because of that, people’s interest in the election is weaker. With this decline in interest, we still need to mobilize voters to support the party we’ve established. Ultimately, it depends on the voters’ knowledge, ideas, and perspectives, which also play a role in determining whether we win or not,” he explained.
He added that, due to the current political situation, they face difficulties in selecting candidates, and in some constituencies, they are fielding candidates just to keep the party alive.
The Military Commission has announced that the first phase of the election will be held on December 28th.
Four parties were deregistered by the Military Commission for failing to meet requirements: the National Democratic Force (NDF) for not reaching the required number of party members, the Democratic National Party (DNP) for not having enough township offices, the Women’s Party (Mon), and the Union Farmers and Workers Force Party.
In Karen State, the Mon Progressive Party plans to run candidates in three constituencies, with the possibility of expanding to more, according to Min Tun Lwin.
“Now, we are focusing on three constituencies: the Mon ethnic affairs seat, the Karen ethnic affairs seat in Karen State, the People’s Assembly seat in Hpa-an Township, and the People’s Assembly seat in Kawkareik Township. These are the three we are prioritizing for now. But we still have time until the 22nd (September), so depending on the situation, we may expand further,” he said.
Although this is a period of conflict and there are security concerns, he stated that they are responsible for taking care of their own security.
The Mon Progressive Party (MPP) is a Karen State-based political party that was officially registered with the Military Commission on April 1st, 2024, with registration number 48.
