The National League for Democracy (NLD), central executive committee member Win Htein said the party would not change their policy in selecting candidates for the forthcoming by-elections but they would give priority to political qualifications rather than education.
“No problem for uneducated, no problem for not passing even matriculation but we will give priority to candidates who understand politics, who can practice politics, so they can serve the people in politics,” Win Htein told Mizzima.
In the last 2015 general elections over 1,000 NLD candidates contested and 886 of them won their seats in various houses and assemblies.
Of these 886 winning candidates, most of them were medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, school teachers etc., but some of them were poor in politics so candidates must be selected carefully for forthcoming by-elections, Win Htein added.
“Some of them were well educated but very poor in politics. So we must seriously scrutinise the candidates this time,” Win Htein said.
He went on to say that the party would not change their policy of giving priority to women, youth and ethnic nationalities in the selection of candidates.
The Union Election Commission announced that the by-elections will be held on April 1, 2017, in 19 vacant seats of various houses and assemblies across the country.
Branches of election commissions have started the collection of voters’ list via a door to door system in the constituencies where there are vacant seats.
In the last 2015 general elections, ruling NLD party won 255 seats in House of Representatives, 135 seats in House of Nationalities, 475 seats in Legislative Assemblies and 21 seats in Ethnic Representatives.