Ethnic Joins NLD's Parliament...

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

Ethnic minority groups join NLD parliament drive, party says
Thu 17 Sep 98 - 12:47 GMT
YANGON, Sept 17 (AFP) - Myanmar's main opposition party Thursday said it had
secured the
backing of a handful of ethnic resistance groups for its decision to convene a
parliament.
In a written statement, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party's newly-
formed
"representative committee" announced it held its first meeting Wednesday and
adopted four
resolutions.
The fourth resolution welcomed four groups, including three which had
previously signed
ceasefire agreements with the ruling military.
The NLD statement also said the special committee had elected Arakan state NLD
party
member Saw Mya Aung as chairman of the parliament it has pledged to convene by
the end of
this month.
The NLD on Wednesday announced the formation of the 10-member representative
committee
to implement its decision to convene a parliament of politicians elected in
the 1990 general
elections.
The party, under Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won the elections in a
landslide but
the ruling military council has refused to recognise the result and dismissed
calls for parliament to
meet.
NLD chairman Aung Shwe was named head of the committee, of which party
secretary-general
Aung San Suu Kyi is a member.
The NLD statement Thursday called for "full rights for all political parties
to freely conduct their
political activities" and for the "immediate and unconditional" release of all
political prisoners.
It also said the tenure of the parliament elected in 1990, which has never
met, was valid "for as
long as it takes for the parliament to promulgate a constitution drafted by
democratic means."
The ruling State Peace and Development Council says the planned parliament
would be illegal
and has detained hundreds of democracy advocates in recent weeks, according to
the
opposition.
The statement said the NLD's call for a parliament was supported by the Shan
State People's
Liberation Organisation, which had previously agreed a ceasefire with the
junta.
The Karenni All People's Liberation Army and New Mon State Party, both of
which have signed
ceasefires with the government, were also welcomed. The fourth group was the
New Kayan
State Party, the committee's statement said.
"This committee will act as a representative for all elected candidates under
the 1990 elections
law and will take full responsibility until parliament is successfully
convened," it said.
According to an earlier statement, the committee will carry out the mandate of
251 of the
parliamentarians remaining from the 485 who won seats eight years ago.