There are 13 political parties that have applied to the military-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) for establishment of political parties and registration, and there are five political parties that will organize the entire union, according to the junta-run propaganda newspaper.

There are up to eight political parties that will be organized only within a region or state, and the establishment and registration of for those parties are being scrutinized by the junta UEC.

The military council has not yet announced the names of the five parties that will organize the entire union, but the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) as well as the National Unity Party have opened party offices in many townships across the country.

The military council’s Political Parties Registration Law stipulates that if a party organizes throughout the Union, it must have at least 100,000 members and Ks 100 million in party funds within 90 days from the date of party registration.

A party that organizes only within a region or state must have at least 1,000 party members, and party funds of 10 million kyat must be deposited in any Myanmar commercial bank.

Among the parties that applied for the establishment of political parties and registration are the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the Federal Democratic Party, the Union Democracy Party, the Myanmar People’s Democratic Party (MPD), the Democratic Forces Labor Party, the Public Contribute Students Democracy Party and the New National Democratic Party.

The other parties are the ethnic political parties such as the Pao National League Organization (PNO), the New Democracy Party (Kachin), the Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP), the National Unity Party.