The terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing has amended the Political Parties Registration Law for the second time, announcing on July 28 that political parties found to have committed electoral fraud and malpractice will no longer be allowed to exist as political parties. Political analysts point out that this legal amendment is another targeted action against the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The amendment comes after the military council’s previous modification of the same law.
The latest amendment adds a new subsection (11) under Chapter 3, Section 12(a) regarding the termination of party status, specifically addressing cases where the commission finds evidence of electoral fraud and malpractice. Under this amendment, parties accused of electoral fraud will lose their right to continue operating as political organizations. The military council has repeatedly accused the National League for Democracy of committing electoral fraud in the 2020 general elections, despite international observers and election monitoring groups confirming that the election was free and fair.
The military council seized power in a violent coup on February 1, 2021, arresting President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other government leaders. They were subsequently sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of electoral fraud, malpractice, and corruption. The NLD party, which has not re-registered under the military council’s authority, now faces complete dissolution under this new amendment. This latest legal modification represents another step in the military council’s systematic dismantling of Myanmar’s democratic institutions and its attempts to eliminate political opposition, particularly targeting the NLD, which won overwhelming support in the 2020 elections.
