SENG PHOO — The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) announced twenty-nine percent of the candidates it would field for the 2020 general election are women.

SNLD said 38 of the party’s 132 electoral candidates, who will contest the November 8 election, are female and 32 are under the age of 35.

SNLD, also known as Tiger Head Party, will contest 45 townships. Out of the 132 seats it will contest, 38 seats are for House of Representatives, 12 for House of Nationalities (Senate), 79 for State Parliament and 3 seats for Ethnic Affairs Minister.

Sai Aik Pao, chair of Shan National Democratic Party (SNDP), also called White Tiger Party, said his party will contest 30 townships. SNDP is also working to prioritize female and youth candidates, but exact numbers of candidates from these demographics weren’t provided.

SNLD fielded 163 electoral candidates during the 2015 election, winning 40 seats. SNDP won only one seat in the last election.