Htoe Myar — “We will get the answer for why a person cannot work for the public with good-will even though he or she is in the rightful place,” says U Nyunt Shwe from the Kayah Unity Democracy Party (KUDP). He was interviewed by Htoe Myar from the BNI Election Newsroom. U Nyunt Shwe is running against Union Minister Soe Thein for the Upper House seat from Constituency No 9 in Bawlakhe Township in Karenni State.
Q: Which parliament are you running in?
A: I’m running in Upper House Constituency No 9 from Bawlakhe Township.
Q: What’s your aim for running in Bawlakhe?
A: As we are not only an ethnic party, but also a state-based party so our party will run against the union minister whether we win or lose. If we don’t run [in the election], we have to consider our party’s pride.
Q: Have you carried out many campaign rallies?
A: Yes, I have. There aren’t many left now.
Q: What kind of challenges do you face in running against a Union Ministers?
A: They have been giving gifts to the village residents in the name of the current Union Minister right in front of me. They can use a lot of budget.
As for us, we have to persuade their spirits with available manpower. They can persuade by using physical matters.
Q: What kind of difficulties do you encounter the most?
A: There are many difficulties. As he is a union minister, as far as I know, most of his followers are his pupils and assistants. Those who received aid from him have also been campaigning for him.
Q: Do you have self-confidence in running against the union ministers?
A: Of course, I have self-confidence. I know the spirits of my friends and our ethnic people. No matter what the circumstance is, I may win or lose. The experience is my profit. I won’t consider it as losing.
Q: What are the difficulties that residents have the most?
A: Their main difficulty is road and communications. After the roads have been built, they carried out the campaign within a month. It’s only been a month since the roads were built so they become damaged again. Some areas also aren’t systematic.
Q: If you don’t win, what do you plan to do for the residents of this constituency?
A: I can’t say for sure now because I’m not sure whether I will win or lose. As I was born in Karenni State, I can only say that I will do my best for my state. I can’t say what I will carry out yet.
Q: If you can enter the Parliament, what proposal will you submit first for the public?
A: I can’t say what the first topic is because I have to cover many areas. The education is low. There aren’t enough teachers. There are also health issues. The roads are in bad condition. So, I can’t only choose one topic. I have to cover all of them at the same time if I can enter the Parliament. If not, we won’t have the right.
Q: What else do you want to add?
A: Just as I have said before, if I win, I win and if I lose, I still win because I would have gained an experience. I will be able to use the current time and place and learn more about people.
We will get the answer for why a person cannot work for the public with good-will even though he or she is in the rightful place.
Brief biography
Name: U Nyunt Shwe
Age: 57
Occupation: Retired
Education: B.A (Psychology)
Party: Kayah Unity Democracy Party (KUDP)