Suu Kyi furious at comrades’ new party

LONDON - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly expressed anger over her former colleagues forming a breakaway party to contest the upcoming general elections.

Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) had last month announced that it had decided to boycott controversial elections planned by the junta for later this year, termed the move “undemocratic”.

According to The Independent, the Nobel laureate had made it clear that the NLD should not take part, but later it quickly emerged that a number of NLD members disagreed with the move and announced they were setting up a new party.

The new party, called the National Democratic Force (NDF), plans to participate in the polls later this year. Veteran politician Dr Than Nyein will head it.

According to 64-year-old Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win, Suu Kyi said: “The minority going against the decision unanimously reached by the majority is against democratic practice.”

However, members of the breakaway party have defended their action.

Dr Nyein told the Irrawaddy website that Suu Kyi should understand the right of individuals to form a new party.

“We formed a new party only after the NLD officially ceased to exist. As individuals, we have the right to do so. As a democrat, she should understand us,” he said, adding that he and other NDF leaders believe in the need to have a political party to continue the democratic struggle.

He further added that the NDF is not an NLD splinter group because the NLD party no longer exists by law.

To date, thirty-seven political parties have registered with the election commission to contest this year’s election. (ANI)