The new, government led by President Thein Sein should implement the rule of law in the country as opposed to rule by individual discretion, urged the National Unity Party (NUP). The spokesperson also backed calls for the release of political prisoners.

The NUP’s spokesperson, Han Shwe, told DVB that the new government, sworn in to office at the end of March, should focus on practicing the rule of law; “The new government whilst abiding by the constitution should practice a rule of law but not a rule by individual people,” said Han Shwe.

He continued that; “If this was done right, we should be able to get very close to implementing a democratic system in the country.”

The NUP spokesperson also told DVB that he “wished for the release” of political prisoners, with over 2,000 still behind bars. The government usually denies the existence of political prisoners.

“We wish for a dialogue – discussion with one another – as it’s generally a positive approach, an equal ground for everyone [to discuss] should be created when putting this into practice.”

The NUP was usurped at last year’s polls as the favoured party of the military establishment by the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and divisions have seemingly emerged since campaigning for the polls began.

The NUP, born out of Ne Win’s Burmese Socialist Programme Party as a proxy to the regime in 1990, the party fielded nearly 1000 candidates in last year’s 7 November elections but won just over 60 seats in all parliaments.

In the 1990 elections the NUP was heavily defeated at the ballot box by the National League for Democracy (NLD), with seemingly little or less provision being offered for the rigging of the poll as allegedly occurred in last year’s election.

Many had erroneously predicted that the NUP would play a decisive role in balancing the power of the USDP out but despite performing far better than any so called democratic parties such as the National Democratic Force (NDF), the NUP has so far had little visible impact on Burma’s parliamentary political landscape.