A senior member of the Hpa-an based, Plone-Sgaw Democratic Party (PSDP), a Karen political party, said that they are planning to contest all constituencies in Karen State for the November 8, 2015 general election.
Speaking to Karen News, the party’s vice-chairman Mahn Aung Pyi Soe said.
“We will contest all 36 constituencies including places where Burman, Pa-o, Mon ethnic people live. We have not yet confirmed the names of [our] candidates. Our target is to win the constituencies, particularly at the state level and to have PSDP as the main party in the Karen State government.”
Mahn Aung Pyi Soe said that candidates for the Minister of Karen Ethnic Affairs, PSDP would contest in the Kyaikmayaw and Pong townships in Mon State and also in Bilin Township and Yangon Division.
In Karen State, the main opposition parties that PSDP will compete against are the current government’s Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the main opposition, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).”
Kant Zaw Aung, owner of the U Sauk Pann bookstore in Hpa-an, said that it is not easy for the PSDP to completely win against the major party including NLD.
Speaking to Karen News, Kant Zaw Aung said.
“PSDP contested in the 2010 election so they have their supporters but so does the NLD. I do not think they (PSDP) are in a better position. They may win some constituencies, but so will the NLD.”
Based primarily in Karen State, the PSDP was founded in 2010 and in that year’s general election, won a total of nine seats – four seats in the State Assembly, two seats in the lower house (House of Representatives) and three seats in the upper house (House of Nationalities).
According to a media release by the Union of Election Committee – in Karen state, there are 36 constituencies: 7 for the Lower House, 12 for Upper House, 14 for the State Assembly, and 3 for Burman, Pa-o, and Mon Ethnic Affairs.
