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USDP supporters in the course of the election marketing campaign in Naypyitaw in October 2020. / The Irrawaddy
By The Irrawaddy 20 June 2022
The army’s proxy Union Solidarity and Growth Celebration (USDP) held its central government committee (CEC) assembly final week, which ended with a rift over the celebration’s future management. The celebration is anticipated to announce new management on the celebration’s convention to be held quickly.
Final week’s CEC assembly noticed the USDP divided into two camps — one which needs to convey down celebration chairman U Than Htay and the opposite loyal to him. The group in search of to oust U Than Htay is stronger and is believed to be backed by junta chief Senior Normal Min Aung Hlaing, in line with CEC members.
The 5 yr time period of the celebration’s present CEC ended final August, however U Than Htay cited the COVID-19 outbreak and political scenario as causes to cancel the 2021 celebration convention. Nonetheless, many USDP members noticed that as simply an excuse for U Than Htay to retain his place as celebration chair within the wake of the USDP’s resounding defeat within the 2020 common election.
These in search of to take away U Than Htay imagine that, on the very least, he hopes to be appointed vice chair of the USDP after the regime’s proposed election subsequent yr.
U Than Htay’s management threatened
The USDP’s most vital assembly is the celebration convention which elects the CEC, whose time period runs for 5 years. The CEC elects the chair, vice chairs and secretaries of the celebration.
After the celebration convention, the CEC assembly is the highest-level assembly of the USDP, though it solely has the ability to fill vacant positions on the CEC.
On the USDP’s CEC assembly on June 8-9, U Than Htay tried to increase his time period as chair of the celebration for an additional 5 years with out affirmation from the celebration convention. Nonetheless, the USDP group against that, reportedly supported by Min Aung Hlaing, objected and U Than Htay was pressured to vow {that a} celebration convention will likely be held quickly.
If he insists on extending his time period with out convening a celebration convention, U Than Htay will observe within the footsteps of Thura Shwe Mann who was purged in an influence wrestle with former President U Thein Sein, stated one CEC member who wished to stay nameless.
The identical member stated that U Than Htay appeared sad as he delivered the opening tackle on the CEC assembly, and that his tackle was like a farewell speech.
Junta chief working behind the scenes
Min Aung Hlaing’s dream of turning into president of Myanmar is an open secret. With the Myanmar army assured 25 per cent of all seats within the nationwide legislature beneath the army-drafted 2008 structure, it’s not unrealistic for him to dream of turning into president. Nonetheless, within the 2020 common election the USDP did not win the 26 per cent of votes which might have enabled it to kind a authorities, forcing Min Aung Hlaing to stage his coup in February final yr.
Now, after annulling the outcomes of the 2020 ballot, Min Aung Hlaing is planning for an election subsequent yr. He could have already got somebody in thoughts to succeed him as army chief after the election. On the similar time, he needs to choose somebody he trusts as the following USDP chair, because the celebration will play a vital function if he’s to realize his presidency dream.
U Than Htay was handpicked as USDP chair by former dictator Senior Normal Than Shwe, which makes it laborious for Min Aung Hlaing to purge him personally. He was rewarded with the celebration chair after exposing the plan by the late dictator Ne Win’s grandsons to stage a coup.
Than Shwe nonetheless supplies recommendation to the USDP, though CEC members don’t imagine that he interferes within the celebration’s administration.
Former agriculture and irrigation minister U Myint Hlaing, who’s notorious in Myanmar as ‘One Meal’ Myint Hlaing for asking farmers to skip a meal every day with the intention to repay their agricultural loans to the federal government, has not too long ago reached out to Than Shwe, stated a CEC member.
“Ko Myint Hlaing was concerned in purging [former military spy chief] Normal Khin Nyunt. So the [former] Senior Normal trusts him,” stated the CEC member.
In the meantime, Min Aung Hlaing is attempting to regulate the celebration via his henchmen, stated one other CEC member.
Min Aung Hlaing has not spoken a phrase concerning the USDP for the reason that coup. USDP leaders have additionally advised native media that they’re but to satisfy the coup chief in particular person. “It seems that [Min Aung Hlaing] controls the celebration via U Khin Yi and U Thaung Aye,” stated a CEC member.
U Khin Yi is a USDP vice chair, in addition to the immigration minister in Min Aung Hlaing’s regime. U Thaung Aye is a CEC member and former lieutenant common and MP. He’s anticipated to be promoted within the celebration hierarchy on the upcoming USDP convention.
Critics of U Than Htay
“There can’t be a shining celebration beneath poor management,” wrote U Maung Myint earlier than the CEC assembly. U Maung Myint, a local of Sagaing Area’s Mingin Township, acted as trade minister in U Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian administration.
Additionally against U Than Htay is U Hla Swe, higher generally known as Bullet Hla Swe, a former lieutenant colonel and Higher Home lawmaker. On the latest CEC assembly, he made an official name for the USDP convention to be convened. However neither U Hla Swe nor U Maung Myint are anticipated to be candidates for USDP chair.
U Myint Hlaing is one other senior critic of U Than Htay and since succeeding former defence minister Normal Wai Lwin because the chief of the Naypyitaw USDP, he has successfully consolidated his management within the celebration. He was generally known as a hardliner throughout his time in U Thein Sein’s administration.
One other outstanding opponent of U Htan Thay is U Thaung Aye, who’s considered a shrewd man who goes by the ebook and is near Min Aung Hlaing. He’s considered the more than likely candidate to switch U Than Htay as USDP chair.
Min Aung Hlaing doubts that U Than Htay has capability to win the 26 per cent of parliamentary seats the USDP must win so he can turn out to be president, stated a former USDP lawmaker. Min Aung Hlaing can also be offended with U Than Htay over remarks he has made, stated a celebration member.
“The celebration is dominated by former army personnel who contest elections on the USDP ticket. However U Than Htay stated that the USDP and army should not associated in any respect. After all, Min Aung Hlaing was not pleased with that,” stated the celebration member.
The USDP and the 2023 election
The USDP management can exepct to imagine senior positions, together with the vp, parliament audio system and union ministers, if the army regime can win the election subsequent yr by excluding the Nationwide League for Democracy Celebration from contesting it. The present senior management are eyeing cupboard positions in 2023.
Lots of Than Shwe’s proteges stay within the USDP, in line with images launched by the celebration. Vice-chair U Khin Yin, former finance and revenues minister U Hla Tun and former air power chief U Myat Hein are all confidants of Than Shwe.
Different CEC members additionally served as ministers in Than Shwe’s regime together with U Thein Zaw, U Thein Aung, U Soe Thane, U Myint Hlaing, U Nyan Win, U Nyan Tun, and U Nyan Tun Aung, all of whom are senior to Min Aung Hlaing.
Nonetheless, CEC members imagine that the junta chief will look to folks junior to him to turn out to be the following USDP chair, with the previous lieutenant common U Thaung Aye considered Min Aung Hlaing’s choose to clean his highway to the presidency.
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