An interview with U Aung Moe Zaw, Chair of the Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS)
June 20th, 2022
The military council has announced that it would hold the election in August, 2023 with the Proportional representation (PR) system. On June 10th, the DPNS issued a statement, saying that it would not recognize the election. The following is an interview with U Aung Moe Zaw, Chair of the DPNS about it.
Q: The DPNS has made a total objection to the military council’s election under the PR system scheduled for 2023. Why did the DPNS object to it?
A: Yes. There are two parts. The first one is that the military government is not a legitimate government in fact. As it is not a legitimate government, the election to be held by this group is not legitimate. That’s why we objected to it. The second is the military needs to remove a quarter of seats reserved for the army if it wants to exercise the PR system. The military’s attempt is to get the upper hand in parliament with the PR system in addition to a quarter of reserved seats. So, we are making an objection to it. We will say nothing when the PR is exercised under the normal democratic circumstances. The main point is the military group and the 2008 Constitution. We don’t accept the 2008 Constitution. We have abolished it. The PR system under the 2008 Constitution will not be fair by any means. The political parties which agree to the PR system want to cooperate with the military and encourage the military dictatorship. That’s why we object to it.
Q: Do the political parties including the DNPS oppose the PR system?
A: The first point is we do not object to the PR system. We object to the PR system exercised under the 2008 Constitution. The military will always get the upper hand in parliament when the PR system is exercised under the 2008 Constitution. I think other parties shall not get the upper hand. We object to the PR system exercised under the 2008 Constitution in order that the military attempts to get the upper hand. We are not objecting to the PR system alone. We want the public to clearly understand it.
Q: The military turns a blind eye to the suggestions and objections made by political parties and the organizations which represent the public. To what extent, will the country’s fate become worse if the military holds the election under the PR system?
A: In my view, the military is not a legitimate government. It has no authority to hold the election. The military’s plan to hold the election aims to return to the political stage through the back door. I would like to call on the public to object to it.
Q: What will the DPNS continue to do if the military council holds the election with the PR system under the 2008 Constitution?
A: The public needs to oppose the election as much as they can. We don’t need to recognize it. We will call on the public not to cooperate with the military on the election. We will call on the international community and the public not to recognize the election. Now, the US takes a leading role in opposing the election. I think the public will not recognize it.
Sent by Khaing Lu Hla (Yomamyay)
