Party founded by 88 Generation group gets green light

Two previous requests were rejected because its name contains a reference to the 1988 protest movement. The new party will not be able to take part in local election and 13 People’s Assembly by-elections set for 3 November. It will have to wait until the 2020 general election.

Naypyidaw (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Myanmar’s Union Election Commission (UEC) approved a bid by the 88 Generation group to register a new political party, the People’s Party, state media reported.

The pro-democracy group, which led a protest movement against the country’s former military regime 30 years ago, had applied for registration twice before but had been turned down.

in December 2017, it had tried unsuccessfully to register as the Four Eights Party; last April, it tried again as the Four Eights People's Party, winning approval. However, upon receiving objections, the UEC reversed is decision.

The number, four eights, is a reference to the date – 8 August 1988 – a mass protest movement against the rule of General Ne Win peaked, until it was crushed by Myanmar’s military.

In July, the group filed another request, without the historic date, and achieved its goal. According to government regulations, the new party will have 90 days to present to the UEC its membership list and the names of the members of its central committee.

Meanwhile, the new party has already opened political offices in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay, in the regions of Ayeyarwady, Bago and Magway, and in the States of Shan and Mon.

However, due to the delay, it will not be able to field candidates in local elections or in 13 by-elections for the People’s Assembly scheduled for 3 November. Instead, it will have to wait until the 2020 general elections before it can seek office.