According to the Myanmar Alin newspaper owned by the Military Council, the Arakan National Party (ANP), which won the majority of parliamentarians in Rakhine state in the previous elections, has applied for registration on March 20.

On March 21, the Military Council-owned Myanmar Alin newspaper reported that under Section 25 of the Political Parties Registration Law, the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP), Kachin National Congress (KNC), and Arakan National Party (ANP), yesterday applied to the Union Election Commission for permission to establish political parties under the law and rules.

According to Arakan National Party Chairman U Thar Tun Hla, the party’s registration is intended to enable political discussion and speech, as he told Narinjara News yesterday.

Furthermore, he stated that the purpose of the registration is to facilitate discussions with other brotherhood alliance forces in Myanmar and work towards establishing a genuine federal union.

Arakan Front Party (AFP), led by Dr. Aye Maung from Rakhine, as well as the Rakhine State National United Party and the Kha Mee National Development Party have also recently applied for registration with the Union Election Commission under the Military Council.

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) has announced that it lacks confidence in the election law enacted by the Military Council and has no intention of registering the party.

Similarly, the Daingnet National Development Party, a member of the Rakhine ethnic group, will not register due to financial difficulties.