The 'National Unity Party' (NUP) held a press conference at its head office on University Avenue on Wednesday, the eve of 'Union Day'.
At the press conference leaders of the NUP expressed their concern over anti-government demonstrations and expressed fears of war breaking out.
Mizzima reporter Nem Davies interviewed NUP CEC U Han Shwe over telephone.
The NUP party was formed in 1988 after the former dictator U Ne Win led 'Burma Socialist Programme Party' (BSPP) was abolished after a nationwide uprising by transforming BSPP to NUP.
Q: What is the main content of your Union Day message?
A: There are only three points in our Union Day message. The first one is to pass on the Panlong Spirit, unity of all nationalities spirit to the younger generation, the second one is consolidation of this Panlong spirit and the final one is this is the national task inherited from history. The target audience of this message is the youth.
Q: Did the delegates from branch offices in townships attend your Union Day Eve ceremony?
A: No delegates from township branches attended our ceremony. Only over 400 persons from Rangoon Division and the head office attended.
Q: How many active branch offices do you have in your NUP party?
A: Our head office is in Rangoon and there are branch offices in all 14 States and Divisions. And also we have such organizational offices in over 300 townships in these States and Divisions.
Q: What is the number of your current party membership?
A: Currently we have over 500,000 members. Former BSPP party members became our NUP party members when the BSPP was reconstituted as NUP in 1988. And also there are new members in our party too. But the 'multi-party general election commission' later instructed us not to accept new members and we stopped accepting new members since then. Now we have over 500,000 members in our party.
Q: What are your current movements?
A: Our movement is routine. We have had all these branch offices in all States and Divisions since the time of BSPP so that we have no difficulties in running these offices and are doing our work. We held regular meetings.
Q: What are your preparations and ground works for the planned 2010 general election?
A: We have a general principle to contest this election. But we will know the constituencies when the election law is enacted and made public. For instance, which are the constituencies for People's Parliament (Lower House) and which will be the constituencies for National Parliament (Upper House). Only after knowing these constituencies, we can decide to contest constituencies which will be favourable for us. So we are looking forward the enactment of this 'Election Law'.
Q: Is it a special press conference?
A: No, it is regular press conference not extraordinary. We occasionally hold such press conferences by inviting foreign and domestic news agencies and journals especially on Union Day and on our founding anniversary day, say about twice a year. This time, we invited these media persons and explained our Union Day message to them. We have no other messages on special and new issues. The reporters gathered on this Union Day gathering and asked questions.
We invited officially registered foreign and domestic media totaling 25 such as AP, AFP and Reuter. We could not invite all domestic weekly journals. This is not a formal press conference and we held it as it was convenient to all of us.
Q: Your party said this morning at the press conference that your party is concerned over war breaking out. What does it mean? Where and when can this war break out?
A: According to both foreign and domestic media, some groups cannot accept and endorse the new constitution and they will not contest in the new election too. We cannot say specific locations and time when and where such a war will break out. But we have armed groups in our country and we should prevent war breaking by concerted efforts. Insurgency in our country has started since we regained independence. The people are exhausted and fed up with this insurgency and armed rebellion. We must prevent this war by all means. Media must do by media's means and also our party doesn't want to see such a war break out in our country. We want to see transfer of power in our country peacefully and smoothly within the framework of this new constitution. We think this is the best way for all of us. This is what we said this morning.
Until today, there are some places where (the armed insurgencies) have been raging since the time of 'Anti-Facist People's Liberation Front' (AFPLF) and BSPP. The war has been raging in some of these States. The Tatmadaw (armed forces) is doing their best to restore peace in these areas by 'exchanging arms for peace' deals. So in some places, the peace can be restored and in some places the war of armed rebellion is still raging. Under these circumstances, we say there is the danger of new war breaking out.
Q: As for the new demonstrations by taking to the streets, who can do such things?
A: As for this scenario, and according to some medias, there are some groups and forces who cannot accept the 2010 election. So these groups and forces will oppose the planned election by all possible means. We can't talk of specific persons and groups. We can say in general referring to all those at home and abroad who cannot accept the elections. The NLD has not yet accepted the 2010 election. We don't say they denied it totally, but have just said they have not yet accepted it.
Q: Since most of the NLD youths are in prisons now, which organization can organize such demonstration by taking to the streets?
A: It's difficult to answer.
Q: How do you see the role of NLD in the 2010 election?
A: We wish them to contest in this election as they won the people's mandate in the last election. They (NLD) should contest in this new election too.
Q: Under the changing situation, do you think NLD's influence over the people has changed too?
A: Since it is a national party representing almost the entire country, there will be some people who will still support them. Like our party NUP, they too have branch offices in townships in States and Divisions besides Rangoon. So they will have their mass base to some extent in these places too.
Q: Have you ever urged NLD to contest in 2010 election directly?
A: We did not urge them face to face. But we urged NLD to contest in 2010 election in our publications and press conferences. Similarly we urged NLD to participate in the National Convention. Similarly this time too, we urge NLD to contest the 2010 election as a political party and they should contest.
Q: Which party will be in a leading role in 2010?
A: Currently there are only 10 parties officially recognized by the government namely NLD, our NUP party, SNLD, Pa-O, Kokang, Pyidaungsu Karen, Wa National Progressive Party etc to the best of my knowledge. These 10 political parties are still standing as legal and official parties from a total of 253 parties after the government cancelled the registration of other parties. Some organizations are waiting for the new election laws to come into force. We can answer this question only after this new election law is enacted and notified.
There will be new political parties which will register when the Political Parties Registration Law is enacted and notified too. So it is premature to say which party will be in a leading role in 2010.
Q: In the 2010 election, the number of contesting political parties will be fewer or larger than in 1990?
A: I think it will be less than in 1990. We can know about it when the parties' registration law is enacted and notified. In this law, there will be exact ingredients and norms for the political parties. For the time being, we cannot say anything in detail on this issue until such a law is enacted.
