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Myanmar opposition, 88-generation student group to work on electoral process

Xinhua, May 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Myanmar opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and 88-Generation Peace and Open Society Group agreed on Wednesday to work on electoral, constitution amendment and domestic peace process.

According to its joint-declaration issued here to the press, the two groups will work for the emergence of a free and fair general election slated for late October or early November, amendment of 2008 constitution through efforts of political forces from within and out of the parliament in addition to parliamentary channel.

The joint declaration also called for undertaking the peace process together with ethnic groups based on political objective of building a democratic federal union.

"We will not set up a political party to vie with NLD for the upcoming general election but will coordinate with NLD in carrying out political activities," said Min Ko Naing, Leader of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Group, transformed from a former students group.

Myanmar last held its general election on Nov. 7, 2010 when the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won the majority with its chairman U Thein Sein elected as the country's president after five decades of military rule.

On April 1, 2012, the first by-election was held in which the opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won 43 out of 45 then open parliamentary seats with its chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi occupying a seat of House of Representatives (the Lower House).

Last year, the NLD and the 88-Generation Peace and Open Society submitted a petition to the parliament for amending Article 436 of the constitution, collecting a total of 5 million signatures.

NLD, established in September 1988 after the previous military take-over, regained legal party registration on Jan. 5, 2012 following Aung San Suu Kyi's final release from house restriction on Nov. 13, 2010, six days after the 2010 general election.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who became a parliamentarian with the House of Representatives (Lower House) in the by-elections in April 2012, also holds the post of chairperson of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquillity of the Lower House. Endi