Political parties in Burma have until the end of March to declare themselves under the new junta-monitored electoral law, an announcement that brings the country one step closer to the promised nationwide poll this year.
Existing or emerging political organizations have 60 days to register with the military-appointed election commission, under rules approved Thursday, Jan. 26, and published Friday in a state newspaper.
The junta in search of legitimacy
Each party must promise that "
at least 100,000 members will be mobilized
" within 90 days of registration, and open offices in at least half of the country's districts within 180 days.
Those unable to meet these demands will “
lose their status
” as political parties.
The law does not specify how these figures will be verified, especially since parts of Burma are in the grip of a violent conflict between armed forces and rebel militias.
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The junta, seeking legitimacy since the February 1, 2021 coup that toppled civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has since been detained, has promised elections this year, although no date has yet been announced.
The army had justified its putsch by massive fraud during the November 2020 ballot which confirmed the Nobel Peace Prize party, the National League for Democracy (LND), at the head of the country, accusations disputed by the international observers.
A “free and fair” vote
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing insisted in early January that the military would hold a "
free and fair
" multi-party vote, days after the end of the river trial of democracy figure Suu Kyi, sentenced to 33 years in prison. jail.
The United States has already called these elections a sham, which Moscow, Naypyidaw's ally and arms supplier, supports.
A handful of smaller and regional parties have signaled their willingness to participate, while the military-backed Union, Solidarity and Development Party has held rallies across the country in recent weeks.
The electoral commission is holding discussions with political parties to set up a system of proportional representation, Min Aung Hlaing said.
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Experts say the junta could abandon the first-past-the-post system by which the now decimated LND won landslide majorities in 2015 and 2020.