The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has elected 90 percent of its party representatives to contest the upcoming 2015 elections in Mon State.
According to U Thant Zin, Secretary of Mon State’s USDP, this is the first time the party has elected its representatives, who have the potential to win the elections, and the next time the party will elect more representatives, reaching 100%.
He said: "The party will select those who are among Hluttaw representatives, [who have the] possibility of winning. Ten percent [of party representatives] remains unsure and there can be some changes.”
According to the Union Election Commission (UEC), the date on which the elections are to be held will be officially announced in August, although the commission has stated that the 2015 general election will take place in either October or November of this year.
According to Dr. Aung Naing Oo, State Hluttaw representative of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP), AMDP township offices will select their respective representatives, who will then report to AMDP headquarters.
He said: “What [AMDP] headquarters has requested is [that AMDP township offices] select [representatives] by themselves, with their own approaches. After that, they will just have to report to headquarters. In Chaungzone Township, we plan to finish selecting representatives in May.”
Dr. Aung Naing Oo continued that the AMDP would not compete for Belin or Thaton Townships, nor in Kyyarinnseikkyi Township, Karen State, stating that the AMDP offices based in those areas will run campaigns by themselves.
According to Dr. Min Kyi Win, Joint-Secretary (2), the Mon National Party (MNP) has not prepared for the 2015 elections, though it does plan to contest the elections. The party held its first central committee conference on 28 [February] where a discussion was held regarding the party contesting the elections.
In Mon State, the voter registration process for the 2015 general election will begin on 3 March according to the Mon State Election Sub-Commission.
According to the UEC, the first phase of the nationwide voter registration process took place from November to December 2014, the second phase ran from January to February 2015, while the third and fourth phases took place from January to March, 2015 and February to April, 2015, respectively.
