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It is becoming increasingly clear that the Burmese military junta does not want any ethnic
Kachin representation in Parliament or the Legislature except from its sponsored party. The
Election Commission has summarily rejected approval of any Kachin political party or
independent candidate from Kachin Sub-state in the country’s Shan State for the ensuing
November 7 elections.

The registration of the Northern Shan State Progressive Party (NSPP) and then Duwa Mading
Hkun Htu as an independent candidate were rejected without any reason by the Election
Commission, said sources.

The political party and the independent candidate were to represent Kachin people in the
Sub-state, in Northeast Shan State.

After the rejection of the NSPP, Duwa Hkun Htu wanted to contest as an independent for an
ethnic Kachin seat in the State Parliament for the Sub-State.

“Election Commission rejected me but approved two Kachin candidates from the two parties
sponsored by the junta ---- the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the
National Unity Party (NUP), for a seat in the State Parliament from Kachin State,” said Duwa
Hkun Htu.

Regarding his rejection, Duwa Hkun Htu said, “The Burmese junta does not want participation
of any true Kachin political party or individual in the elections”. He has sent a letter to U Thein
Soe, the head of the EC yesterday wanting to know the reasons for the rejection.

Similarly, the EC rejected the registration of Kachin political parties and independents in Kachin
State, northern Burma.

The EC did not approve the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) led by Dr. Manam Tu Ja,

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former Vice-President No. 2 of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to contest the

elections as well as the individual candidacy of 12 KSPP leaders.

The EC rejected the KSPP and NSPP, which could have been the main rivals of the
junta-backed USDP in the two states, by alleging the two parties were linked to the KIO, which
ignored the junta’s order to surrender weapons.

Now, the Kachin voters in the two states have no party of their choice to vote for and will have
to vote reluctantly for the junta’s proxy parties.

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