BURMA: Half of the new Burmese NLD party 'founders' are women

Eleven of the 21 people who are applying to register the National League for Democracy (NLD) party with the Burmese Election Commission are women representing all states and regions except Karenni State.

NLD founder Aung San Suu Kyi will seek a seat in the Burmese Parliament after the party is legally registered. Photo: Mizzima

The Political Party Registration law stipulates that a party seeking to register must submit a list of at least 15 people who plan to organize a political party. On Friday, the NLD submitted 21 names: 11 women and 10 men.

The list includes former winning political candidates in the failed 1990 election, and also includes young and middle-aged people and a wide spectrum of ethnic representatives, said party sources.

Three original NLD founders head the list: Tin Oo, Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Tin; followed by central executive committee members Nyan Win, Han Thar Myint and Dr. May Win Myint; and representatives from 13 states and regions. In Karenni State, aka Kayah State, there is no NLD office.

“There is no Karreni representative so we have chosen two Shan representatives. For Rangoon Region, we chose Soe Win from our ‘brother party,'” said an NLD member. Soe Win was a member of the now-defunct National Democracy Party (NDP).

On Thursday, NLD representatives Nyan Win and Win Myint travelled from Rangoon to Naypyitaw to obtain a permit to register as a political party.

After permission is granted, the NLD must elect one leader and one deputy leader from the 21 people who applied for registration. After paying a 300,000 kyat fee (about US $381), the party can register with the Election Commission. It must submit a name, a party flag, an emblem, a description of its political ideology, its regulations and an organizational structure. A biography of the 21 applicants and an acknowledgement that they respect and obey the 2008 Constitution is also required.

When the Election Commission approves the registration, the NLD must sign up at least 1,000 members within 90 days.

A senior party official said the NLD would reorganize its central executive committee and central committee.

NLD leaders said this week that Suu Kyi will contest a seat for Parliament. Forty-eight seats are open at various levels of the national, state and regional government.

The following is a list of the 21 people named to organize the National League for Democracy (asterisks denote a candidate who won in the 1990 election):

1. Tin Oo
2. Aung San Suu Kyi
3. Win Tin
4. Nyan Win
5. Han Thar Myint
6. Dr. May Win Myint
7. Dashi La Sai (Kachin)
8. Nan Khin Htway Myint (Karen)
9. Zo Pwe (Chin)
10. Khin San Hlaing (Sagaing)
11. Ohn Kyi (Mandalay)
12. Khin Saw Htay (Magway)
13. Khin Htay Kywe (Mon)
14. Dr. Than Ngwe (Shan)
15. Khin Moe Moe (Shan)
16. Kyaw Khin (Arakan)
17. Hla Hla Moe (Pegu)
18. Khin Aye Mu (Tanintharyi)
19. Myo Nyunt (Youth Work Committee)
20. Khin Zaw Lin (Irrawaddy)
21. Soe Win (Rangoon)