The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), also known as the White Tiger Party or Kya Phyu Party, registered with the Union Election Commission on 27 February 2023, to stand in the junta-organised Myanmar national elections.
Party Chairman Sai Ai Pao confirmed the registration to Mizzima News and said that if the junta holds elections the SNDP will compete in the elections at the national (Union) level, rather than just in the Shan State elections.
According to the junta’s election regulations, all political parties that want to compete in the Union level elections must deposit funds of 100 million kyats and have 100,000 party members within 90 days of their registration, which for the SNDP will be by 28 May 2023.
Any political party that wants to compete in the Union elections must also open offices in 150 townships, half of the country’s total, within 180 days of registration (26 August 2023 for the SNDP) and run candidates in at least 600 constituencies nationwide.
Sai Ai Pao said that complying with the junta’s election regulations was a challenge for the SNDP, when he spoke to Mizzima in early February.
He said: "There is no problem with 100,000 party members. Financially, it's expensive, 100 million Kyats and 165 offices are really challenging, so it's difficult.”
In the 2015 elections, the SNDP put up candidates in Shan, Kayah and Kachin states and in Sagaing Region. In the 2020 elections, it put up candidates in Shan and Kachin States. In both the 2015 and 2020 elections the SNDP won just one seat.
The junta has decided that it is going to hold elections. On 26 January 2023, it passed a new Political Party Registration Law. This has made it very hard for many political parties to compete in the elections because the new law has many onerous regulations that most political parties will be unable to comply with.
The new law also gives all parties who want to contest the elections until 27 March to register or re-register their party. So far, 13 political parties have registered to contest the elections.
The National Unity Government (NUG) in exile has rejected the elections as illegitimate and unfair and has called on people to boycott them and not cooperate with election officials.
