Upper House 'likely' to discuss bill on party registration
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A bill to amend the registration process for political parties will likely be debated at the ninth regular session of the Upper House of Parliament, according to MP Aye Maung.
Aye Maung submitted the bill to the Lower House of Parliament on August 8 last year.
“This matter has already been discussed with officials from the concerned ministry, and I learned about that from the joint bill committee. I don’t know when the bill will go on the agenda,” he said.
The MP’s statement when submitting the bill ran as follows: “The political parties were formed to control three powers of the country through elections on behalf of the people. Policies, work procedures and party leaders, as well as supporters, are directly related to national security and the national interest.”
Party founders, those who want to found new parties as well as existing members must demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the Union. He or she must be a person who is already a citizen, according to the law. Section 345 (a) of the 2008 Constitution says that a person is a citizen if he or she is born of parents both of whom are nationals of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Similarly, Section 345 (b) says that a person must be a citizen if he or she already had citizenship according to the law on the day this Constitution came into effect.
According to Section 2 (b) of 1982 Burma Citizenship Law, the word “citizen” refers to a Burmese citizen. Section 3 says that nationals such as the Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine or Shan, which are ethnic groups that have settled in any of the territories included within the state as their permanent home from a period between 1185BE and 1823AD, are Burmese citizens. Section 8 says that all nationals, or those who are born to national parents, are citizens.
The amended bill was submitted with the intent of conforming to the provisions of the political parties’ registration law, the 2008 Constitution and the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law, said Aye Maung.
“Myanmar is rich in mineral resources, but has few people. Despite the ethnic diversity of its population, unity is weak. Myanmar lies on a geo-political expressway between South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is sandwiched among China, India and Bangladesh. On account of these conditions, we need to create a strategic stronghold,” said Aye Maung.
