19 political parties to run in by-elections in Myanmar

A total of 19 political parties including eight newly-registered parties will run in the April 1 parliamentary by-elections, local media reported on Monday. The eight new political parties are People's Democracy Party, New National Democracy Party, Party for Unity and Peace, Democratic Alliance Party, 88-Public Forces of People's Party, Myanmar New Society Democratic Party, Myanmar National Congress and the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), said the Weekly Eleven. Both NLD and the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) have each nominated 48 candidates to contest for 48 vacancies of the parliament in the by-elections. Of the 48 parliament representatives to be elected from constituencies scattered in 10 regions or states, 40 are for the House of Representatives, six for House of Nationalities and two for region or state parliament. NLD Chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi will run in Yangon region's Kawmu constituency for a seat of House of Representatives against USDP candidate Dr. U Soe Min. Meanwhile, the National Unity Party (NUP) has announced it would run in 23 constituencies, the National Democratic Force (NDF) 12 constituencies and National Democracy Party (NDP) three constituencies. In the 2010 general elections participated by 37 political parties with the absence of NLD, the USDP won the majority of the parliamentary seats with 883 out of a total of 1,154 at three levels, of which 259 in the House of Representatives, 129 in the House of Nationalities and 495 in the region or state parliament.