Myanmar Junta Leader Cements Control of Proxy Party as Henchman Elected Chair

By The Irrawaddy 6 October 2022

U Khin Yi, a retired brigadier basic and former police chief, grew to become the brand new chairman of the army proxy Union Solidarity and Improvement Celebration (USDP) on Wednesday. However his takeover is much more than a easy change in social gathering management.

His persona and file, and the political path the army regime’s leaders are shaping for themselves all serve to elucidate his appointment as social gathering chair.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing wants a political social gathering that can totally assist his objective of turning into president by way of the election he plans to carry subsequent 12 months. And he wants somebody to steer the social gathering precisely the way in which he needs. That is how U Khin Yi, who has displayed unwavering loyalty to successive army regimes, has turn out to be the social gathering chair.

Underneath the military-drafted 2008 structure, Min Aung Hlaing should maintain a basic election subsequent 12 months when his emergency rule expires. Setting apart the query of whether or not the election will be free and truthful, the vote will permit Min Aung Hlaing to say—nevertheless dubiously—legitimacy because the “elected president” of Myanmar, whether or not the remainder of the world is glad about it or not. At finest, the worldwide neighborhood will problem statements, as they’re doing now within the face of the Min Aung Hlaing regime’s killing of civilians. Underneath the structure, he can serve two phrases, permitting him to carry the nation’s prime job for 10 years.

How precisely can Min Aung Hlaing turn out to be the president?

Because the Nationwide League for Democracy (NLD) has rejected the regime’s deliberate election, it’ll boycott the vote subsequent 12 months. Within the NLD’s absence, the USDP has a excessive probability of successful. And the regime might rig the vote if obligatory, because it did within the 2010 ballot.

Min Aung Hlaing’s dream of turning into president of Myanmar is an open secret. The Myanmar army and each homes of parliament nominate one vice-president every underneath the structure, so Min Aung Hlaing will probably be nominated for the put up by the Myanmar army.

The army is assured 25 per cent of all seats within the nationwide legislature underneath the 2008 structure, and if the USDP wins 26 p.c of the vote, collectively they are going to have a majority to elect the president from the three vice-presidents. In different phrases, Min Aung Hlaing wants each the army and the USDP to decide on him.

That is why Min Aung Hlaing made certain his henchman U Khin Yi was put in as USDP chair on the social gathering convention held earlier this week. After all, Min Aung Hlaing is concerned in social gathering affairs (although the structure bars authorities officers from participating within the affairs of their events). Don’t overlook that the USDP is made up of former generals and Min Aung Hlaing himself is a army dictator.

Till not too long ago, the USDP was break up into two camps, one loyal to and one opposing U Than Htay, who stepped down because the social gathering chair on the convention. However with U Khin Yi taking up the chairmanship yesterday, the social gathering is now fully within the fingers of the group that helps Min Aung Hlaing. In different phrases, Min Aung Hlaing has been in a position to consolidate his management of the social gathering to ensure that him to turn out to be the nation’s president.

If the USDP wins subsequent 12 months’s election, U Khin Yi might turn out to be a vice-president of the nation, although we should wait and see if this eventuates.

Stooge of dictators

U Khin Yi doesn’t seem to have severe political ambitions of his personal; a real stooge of dictators, he has a real willingness to do no matter his is instructed.

He was a part of the seventeenth consumption of the Protection Providers Academy, and as such he was senior to Min Aung Hlaing. He served as chief of the Myanmar Police Drive and deputy house affairs minister underneath former army dictator Senior Common Than Shwe, and oversaw the home arrest of former highly effective spy chief ex-Common Khin Nyunt. He additionally oversaw the home arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi earlier than 2010.

He served because the immigration minster in U Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian authorities, whose sham political reforms virtually deceived the world.

He grew to become a vice chair of the USDP after his defeat within the 2015 basic election and arranged protests focusing on the Union Election Fee after the NLD was declared the winner within the 2020 vote.

At a Yangon press convention held by the USDP and its allied events on Nov. 26, 2020 in response to the election defeat, U Khin Yi requested, “On whom ought to we rely?” His query was interpreted as an indication that he was ready for the Myanmar army to intervene within the political scenario.

U Khin Yi was not instantly rewarded after the Feb. 1 coup, however was appointed immigration minister six months later. He took over the Naypyitaw residence of ousted civilian chief Daw Aung San Suu Kyi till he was instructed to step down in August and return to the social gathering.

His chairmanship will strengthen the community comprising the USDP, the nationalist Buddhist group Ma Ba Tha, and the vigilante teams he established because the police chief.

U Khin Yi additionally chairs the USDP’s social gathering disciplinary committee, a place with the facility to punish any social gathering member—in a celebration infamous for corruption and misappropriation of state-owned property.

On the social gathering convention which started on Tuesday, U Than Htay mentioned he was stepping apart, citing well being points and his failure to steer the social gathering to victory within the 2020 election. However sources mentioned U Khin Yi had deliberate to question U Than Htay underneath social gathering guidelines and laws if he didn’t.

Different vice chairs together with former air power chief ex-Common Myat Hein and former President’s Workplace Minister U Hla Tun are believed to carry their positions in identify solely, with Min Aung Hlaing’s shut confidant former Lieutenant Common Myo Zaw Thein, who not too long ago stepped down as adjutant basic of the armed forces, holding the precise authority because the vice chair.

Former Lieutenant Common Aung Soe, who not too long ago retired as Bureau of Particular Operations 4 chief to turn out to be the social gathering’s secretary basic, may even maintain a key position.

The USDP’s chair and vice chairs grew to become the Union president, vice chairman and parliament speaker after the social gathering’s victory within the 2010 basic election. However within the upcoming election, they should be content material with no matter Min Aung Hlaing offers them.

They know properly the which means of Chinese language communist chief Mao Zedong’s well-known maxim that “political energy grows out of the barrel of a gun”.