The Union Election Commission under the military council announced on 26 December that it has granted permission to establish the Kayah State People’s Party (KySPP), which had applied for the right to form a political party.
The KySPP is a political party that emerged after the military coup. Although it is expected to participate in the military council’s planned 2025 election, the areas where it will contest remain unknown.
According to the junta’s election commission, the KySPP, which has been granted permission to establish a political party, must apply to the commission for registration within 30 days in accordance with the Political Parties Registration Rule (7). So far, there are 15 political parties that have been granted permission to establish a political party.
The military council is attempting to hold elections in 2025. Analysts have suggested that they will forcibly conduct elections in the few areas under their control in Karenni State, where military conflict is ongoing.
Below are a compilation of views from various resistance forces, civil society organizations, and some political party members within Karenni State regarding the formation of the Kayah State People’s Party (KySPP).
Khu Daniel (Deputy Minister – Ministry of Defense/Karenni Government)
Any party participating in Min Aung Hlaing’s election will just be part of his camp. Min Aung Hlaing isn’t a legitimate government – they’re just an army that’s illegally seized power. So they have no mandate. Only the people have the mandate. This election will just be for him. They are doing it just to maintain the military dictatorship. All the parties taking part in this election are the same way. So all of us – the people, armed organizations, resistance groups – we have to prevent this election from happening however we can. If we don’t do this, like I said, living under this military dictatorship won’t be easy at all. I want everyone to know that stopping this election from happening is a responsibility for all of us involved in the revolution.
Mu Angela (Joint Secretary-2/ Kayan Women’s Organization-KyWO)
The people aren’t going to accept any political party that participates in this illegal, sham election. Look at the Kayah State People’s Party (KySPP) in Karenni State right now — they’ve applied to the junta’s Union Election Commission for permission to establish themselves as a political party. We see this as opposing the revolution of our people in the state. Because they’re going against the people’s struggle in this way, they’ll go down as culprits in Karenni State’s history.
U Banyar (Secretary-2 of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council-IEC)
My view is clear. Whether it’s the military council or people under them, they need multiple parties to create the appearance of an election and to show it to international community. I see this use of the state’s name as nothing more than that.
Khu Thae Reh (Chairman – Karenni State Democratic Party-KSDP)
We don’t know who’s leading it. People need to understand that under the military council and the 2008 Constitution, there’s no way to build a democratic system. We, the KSDP, will never build politics under the military council and the 2008 Constitution. We don’t even consider it. Ending the military dictatorship and all forms of dictatorship is our first priority. Only after that will we build federalism. This so-called KySPP must have been formed by the military council’s associates. We don’t know if there are any people who support them. It depends on the people. Revolution without the support of the people, politics without the support of the people – there’s no way it can survive.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
