Leaders of the Mon Unity Party's (MUP) say that they will select candidates at the end of July to participate in the upcoming 2020 general election.

First, the township candidate selection committee will choose candidates at the township level no later than July 15. Then the central selection committee will make the final choices on July 31.

Nai San Tin, joint secretary-2 of the MUP, confirmed the two-step process.

“The candidate list will be released after the selection at the central level,” he told NMG.

All candidates must meet 19 qualification. They must be party members and demonstrate an understanding of party policy, they must qualify in accordance with Burma’s election law, they must want to contest the election, and they must be “honest” and of “good morality.”

MUP leaders have said that they would give special attention to women and youth as electoral candidates.

“We encourage our township selection committee to prioritize women and youth if these candidates have the same qualifications,” Nai San Tin said.  

The MUP was formed by merging the All Mon Region Democracy party, Mon National Party and Mon Forces Party. The Union Election Commission approved the formation of the MUP on May 17, 2019.

The UEC allowed the MUP to register as a political on July 11, 2019.

According to the MUP's leaders, the party has more than 20,000 members.