Seven Shan candidates from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the Shan Nationalities Democracy Party (SNDP), the National League for Democracy (NLD), and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will run for two seats relating to the Shan people in the upcoming by-election in November.
The Shan candidates will run for a seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw to represent Laihka constituency in the southern Shan State and the Shan Ethnic Affairs Minister position in the Mandalay Region.
“As the Tiger Head (SNLD) party, I will run in Laihka and Nan Htwe Hmone will run as Shan affairs representative in Mandalay,” SNLD candidate Sai Okkar, also known as Sai Kaung Kham, from Laihka told the Shan Herald.
Sai Kaung Kham, also known as Sai Okkar, from the SNLD, Sai Shwe Sang from the SNDP, and Sai Aung Tun Lay from the NLD will run for the Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Laihka constituency.
Former union minister Dr Sai Kyaw Ohn from the SNDP, U Sai Pang Seng, a former chair of Mandalay Shan Religious and Social Affairs Association, from the NLD, and Sai Aung Gyi from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will run for the Shan Ethnic Affairs Minister position in the Mandalay Region, according to Nan Seng from Mandalay.
The two seats have been left vacant after Sai Moon, a Pyithu Hluttaw MP from the SNLD representing Laihka constituency, passed away last year and U Kyaw Zaw, the Shan Affairs Minister from the Mandalay Region, also passed away earlier this year.
The Union Election Commission has recently announced that 69 candidates from 24 parties including seven independent candidates will run for 13 constituencies across the country in the by-election.
