NAY PYI TAW — The re-election of the Union Solidarity and Development Party will ensure that the talks on a national ceasefire will continue smoothly and without interruption, a leading member of the ruling party has told an election rally in Myanmar’s capital.
U Tin Naing Tun, the secretary general of the USDP’s central executive committee, also said that changes would be needed to constitutional provisions concerning ethnic minorities to enable the peace process to progress to talks on creating a federal Union.
“If we win the 2015 election, we will amend the 2008 Constitution within five years,” U Tin Naing Thein, told the rally at Zeyathiri Township in Nay Pyi Taw on September 28.
U Tin Naing Thein said the next government would need to continue the peace process without interruption and then begin moves to create a federal Union.
“To carry out this task on a firm foundation, the constitution must be amended first,” he told the rally, held to introduce the party’s candidates in the township.
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“You need to vote for the party that can carry out this task without interruption,” U Tin Naing Thein said, exhorting the crowd to vote for the USDP “as you did in the 2010 election”.
He said that unlike the election in 2010, many parties were contesting the election this year.
A total of 43 candidates from five parties, and including eight independents, are contesting the eight Pyithu Hluttaw and two Amyotha Hluttaw seats in the Nay Pyi Taw Union territory. The USDP and its main rival, the National League for Democracy, are contesting each of the 10 seats. Also contesting seats in Nay Pyi Taw are the National Unity Party with nine candidates, the National Democratic Force with five and the Myanmar National Congress Party with one, and there are eight independents.
U Tin Naing Thein dismissed the campaign slogan adopted by the NLD, which held a rally in Zeyathiri the previous week to introduce its candidates.
Referring to the opposition party’s ‘Time to Change’, slogan, he said the people were already enjoying the fruits of change under the USDP.
“If you really want genuine change, we welcome you to come along with us in building a democratic country, instead of just shouting ‘Time to Change’,” said U Tin Naing Thein.
