Khin Maung Swe, the leader of the breakaway National Democratic Force (NDF) party, said on Friday that the leaders of the dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) are prohibiting its former members from dealing with the NDF.
“The NLD prohibits its members from dealing with us [the NDF], saying it has upcoming activities for its members. We found the NLD members in some townships avoid us. They seem to decide that they'll not deal with the NDF,” Khin Maung Swe told The Irrawaddy.
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| Supporters of the National League for Democracy (NLD) gather at the party's headquarters in Rangoon in March. (Photo: Reuters) |
“Before I arrive in an area, the NLD has already contacted its members by phone, asking their members not to deal with us,” added Khin Maung Swe.
Khin Maung Swe said his sources from Mandalay, Magway Division and Shan State reported that the NLD members in those areas said they would take unspecified actions to make sure the NDF can do nothing in those areas when its members campaign there.
“We have members in 50 townships, including Magway, Mandalay and Shan State. So the NLD's disturbance is not effective. They're just against us by mouth,” said Khin Maung Swe.
The NDF was founded by Khin Maung Swe, Dr. Than Nyein, Win Naing and Thein Nyunt, all former key members of the NLD who disagreed with the NLD executive committee decision not to accept party registration and contest the upcoming election, which resulted in the dissolution of the NLD.
After the party dissolution, the NLD leaders decided to continue its activities, remaining among the public as a social organization and trying to achieve its political goal.
“It's our duty to protect our party to be safe. But we never ask our members not to deal with the NDF,” said Myo Naing, the leader of the NLD's organizing committee, Mandalay Division. “As an example, it's the duty of a landlord to repair his fence to protect him. If he needs to change with a new fence, he must do it. That's his work,”
In response to Khin Maung Swe's accusation of NLD interference with NDF activities, Aye Aye Mar, the leader of the NLD's womens' committee in Meiktila Township, Mandalay Division, said, “We're going on the way to democracy. We're walking on our own way. They [NDF] saying groundless words. The public doesn't accept them.”
“We don't want to respond [to their accusation], as it's a groundless and meaningless accusation,” she added, “The NLD members in our areas still unite as before. They'll never break.”
The NDF registered with the Union Election Commission (UEC) on March 27 and its registration was approved on June 14.
According to the UEC, the registration of 33 parties have been approved thus far.
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