The Mon National Party (MNP) has indefinitely postponed its second congress on March 18 because the congress coincides with the time the party is striving to merge with the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) and hold the national-level political dialogue together with the New Mon State Party (NMSP).
Last November, the MNP announced the plan to hold its second congress on the last week of April in 2018 with the aim to boost its unity and sustainability.
“[The congress] has been postponed because we believe the issues on merging the two parties and holding the national-level political dialogue is more important than our party’s congress. However, we will continue to hold the village-level congress, which is being carried out. The remaining township-level and central-level congresses have been postponed,” said Nai Layih Tamarh, general secretary of the MNP.
In the announcement released on March 18, the MNP stated that it will continue the discussion on the road map with the AMRDP until the merger is successful.
Nai Layih Tamarh said that postponed second congress will not be held if the party merges with the AMRDP.
However, former MNP general secretary Dr. Min Soe Linn, who resigned from the party, said: “They are unable to hold the village-level and township-level congresses on time. Another reason is that they are pretending to work on the MNP-AMRDP merger.”
When the MNP’s first congress was held in January 2015, 93 members were elected for the central committee but there are only 78 members left after the sacking and resignation of some members.
