The National League for Democracy (NLD), undisputed winners of the 2015 elections and currently transitioning into power, will meet with members of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) to discuss political collaboration.
U Aye Thar Aung, a UNA leader said: “After we have a meeting with our members, we will meet with the NLD to discuss how we will work together politically. However, we have not set the exact date for the meeting yet. We will decide the date after discussing with U Hkun Htun Oo and others."
UNA members the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the Arakan National Party (ANP), Mon National Party (MNP), and Zomi Democracy League Party (ZDLP) all won seats in the 2015 elections.
The SNLD won 12 seats in Pyuthi Hluttaw (The house of Representatives or Lower House), three in the Amyotha Hluttaw (The House of Nationalities or Upper House) and 25 in the State Hluttaw (parliament). The ANP won 12 seats in the Pyuthi Hluttaw, 10 in the Amyotha Hluttaw, and 25 in the State Hluttaw. The MNP won one in the Amyotha Hluttaw and two in the State Hluttaw. The ZNC won six seats.
The UNA said that it plans to hold the meeting in the third week of November.
Before the elections the UNA held its third conference from 27 to 29 July to discuss how it could win votes in the elections.
The UNA also established political relations with ethnic armed groups, including the Karen National Union (KNU), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the Chin National Front (CNF), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), and the Karen national Union/Karen national Liberation Army/Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC).
The UNA was founded on 18 May 2002 by ethnic political parties who won constituencies in the 1990 elections. The members of the UNA are: the MNP, the ZDLP, the ANP, the SNLD, the Kayah National Party, the Karen National Party, the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party and the Kachin National Democracy Congress Party.
Reported by Aik Sai
Edited in English by Mark Inkey at BNI
