In the 2015 general election, the National League for Democracy (NLD) promised they would improve the peace process and improve the realization of ethnic rights,  but 5 years later, many would say this is not today’s reality.

According to Nai Houng Sar, Chair of the New Mon State Party, these failures after 5 years of the NLD being in power,  will be felt in the election results later this year.

“Based on their words and their promise in the 2015 election, we had hoped a lot from the NLD. If they got power, we hoped to do the peace processes quickly and to see more opportunities for ethnic groups. But the reality is not like that. So, I don’t think the NLD will get a successful election outcome, ”  offered Nai Houng Sar during an interview with RISE News.

The NLD’s 2015 general election slogan was  “Time for Change” and 4 essential elements of their campaign platform were summarized as follows:

Ethnic Issues and Domestic Peace

The emergence of a constitution that guarantees peaceful coexistence among the entire population

The rule of Justice and Security for the public to appear

Free and secure development.

The NLD frequently committed the party to undertake these issues throughout the campaign.  

Naing Houng Sar strongly critiqued the governing party in saying,  “The NLD leaders do not stand on the side of ethnic groups. They are setting out to fight ethnic nationalities and many do not believe in the NLD government. [Both ethnic army organizations and ethnic communities] hoped they would see their ethnic rights and greater democracy from the NLD. In practice, nothing happened. The ethnic nationalities have lost confidence in the NLD because the government has led a crackdown on many ethnic armed forces.”

Another example of controversial policy choices was when the NLD government changed the name of the Belukyun bridge to General Aung Sann bridge in Mon state, despite opposition from local people.  The naming of the bridge is thought to have resulted in the loss of ten thousand votes in the  2017 by-election, and heavy losses to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

“I think that the ethnic voters in the state do not believe in the NLD. In the previous election, the NLD party won, but in the upcoming election the ethnic party will replace it,” predicted the NMSP’s Joint Secretary (1) Nai Laye Tama.

Political analysts point out that in the 2017 by-election, 94 representatives competed, and the NLD party won only 47.37 percent and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) won 31.85 percent.

Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the Vice-Chair of the NLD Party offered his outlook in an interview from the Irrawaddy News, saying “ …we will try to win and will use the government strategy. We have to try to win the old state. We will compete with the ethnic nationalities in the state. That is for sure.”