The junta's Union Election Commission (UEC) is meeting in Yangon this week, reportedly to discuss "proportional representative in the electoral system" this week. The UEC has invited two representatives of hand-picked political parties.

Dr Aung Maung, chair of the Arakan Front Party, told NMG that he and party secretary Tun Thein will attend the meeting to follow the discussions.

Thar Tun Hla, chair of the Arakan National Party, told NMG that the party's central executive committee hasn't yet decided whether to attend.

At press time, the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) hadn't received an invitation.

"I don't know if the UEC has deliberately excluded the ALD. Other political parties have already received invitations, but we've not," its spokesperson Hla Myint told NMG. After the 1 February coup, ALD issued a statement condemning the dictatorship.

Political analysts speculate that parties that did poorly in previous elections may do better in the next election due to their relationship with the junta.