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Suu Kyi's NLD stirs up election fever
Irrawaddy - January 11, 2012
Nyan Win, a spokesman for the NLD, said on Tuesday that the Nobel Laureate will run for a parliamentary seat representing Kawhmu Township. Kawhmu has become well-known within the anti-forced labor moment in past years due to prominent activist Su Su Nway.
Following the NLD's decision to register as a political party under the controversial 2008 Constitution, the party choose to contest 48 constituencies in the April 1 ballot. And many fresh faces including young activists and female candidates are expected to stand alongside Suu Kyi.
According to another party spokesman, Ohn Kyaing, the NLD called on its local branches to submit their list of candidates by Wednesday with the final decision on who will stand to be made the next day.
"Our plan is to have candidates contesting all 48 seats in the by-elections including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," Ohn Kyaing said. "We expect all NLD candidates to be elected."
Even if Suu Kyi's party won every seat in the poll, it would be still a small minority in Burma's Parliament (or Hluttaw) compared to the military-back ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
The USDP dominates 80 percent of the total 498 elected parliamentary seats, with an additional 166 reserved for military officers appointed by the commander-in-chief.
However, many believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Observers say that Suu Kyi's presence inside Parliament would help organize MPs from the ruling USDP – as well as military officers – into helping with development and democracy efforts in the Southeast Asian nation.
"First we have to look whether the elections are free and fair – this is very important in Burmese politics," said Aung Naing Oo of the Vahu Development Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Burma held general elections in November 2010 but these were slammed by the international community as a shame poll which was undemocratic.
"Secondly we must see how many seats the NLD could possible win in the elections and how the party handles itself in Parliament," said Aung Naing Oo. He added that Suu Kyi is an important figure in Burmese politics and could shake parliamentary politics by dealing with military officers and USDP members.
After the Union Election Commission approved NLD registration earlier this week, the party quickly re-launched political activities such as opening township branch offices, preparing for the upcoming campaign, reorganizing the party leadership and accepting new member applications.
On Wednesday, Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders including Tin Oo and Win Tin greeted crowds at the opening ceremony of the party office in Bahan Township, Rangoon. Witnesses noticed the NLD's well-known fighting peacock flags airing once again after years of being banned by authorities.
The NLD central executive committee also announced on Tuesday that Suu Kyi has been named the new party chairman alongside a re-organized patron committee and executive committee.
Following the changes, aging leaders such as Tin Oo, Win Tin, Than Tun, Hla Pe and Nyunt Wai became members of the patron committee.
NLD sources said that party members in Suu Kyi's constituency of Kawhmu have already launched the democracy icon's campaign for the April by-elections.
"For Mother Suu, we have performed campaign tours to villages and wards in the township with the campaign committee. And people in the township are very happy that Mother Suu is going to be the candidate for the NLD here," said Su Su Nway who was released from prison on Oct. 12.
Suu Kyi has been named an NLD candidate twice since she first became involved in Burmese politics in 1988. For the 1990 elections, the NLD put their detained leader up for a constituency in Bahan Township where she lived. However, the junta then rejected Suu Kyi's candidate application.
Despite the inability of Suu Kyi to stand personally, her NLD party won a landslide victory including Kawhmu Township. But the military regime never honored the result.
Now, after 22 years of waiting, local people appear desperate to finally get their chosen representative. During recent campaign tours for the NLD, villagers in Kawhmu Township vowed: "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD must win."
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