Some leaders of political parties have criticized the Union Election Commission (UEC) for allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of some parties. 

The UEC was criticized at the press conference held on November 23 at the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) office in Thanlwin Street, Yangon. 

These political parties criticized the communication sent by UEC to these 27 political parties including USDP in their statement issued on October 1. It is learned from the press conference that UEC asked these parties in its communication if the CEC of each party gave their nod in issuing this statement. 

USDP party spokesman Thein Tun Oo said, “We want the UEC asking only if the CEC of each party got involved in decision making of issuing this 27-party statement. Such a letter sent to us by the UEC is not the supervision of political parties but the interfering in their affairs. So we need to know clearly the differences between supervision and interfering. We feel the UEC interfered in the internal affairs of each party. All of these 27 political parties felt like that.” 

He added that these 27 parties replied to UEC asking for a meeting with the UEC to give a direct explanation to the UEC. 

Myanmar People’s Democratic Party Chairman Htay Kyaw said that the UEC did not reply to them for their request to meet the UEC but asked only if each party’s CEC decision was given in issuing of this 27-party statement.

“Each party has their own party constitution. I’d like to answer that replying to CEC or not is up to each party of these 27 parties in accordance with their party constitution,” he added. 

The responsible persons from these 27 parties said at the press conference that about two parties from these 27 political parties lodged a complaint to UEC after having differences in their parties and then the UEC sent such letter to them. 

The statement issued by 27 political parties called for the ruling government to tackle the issues of appreciation of the US dollar and rising commodity prices.