Six newly elected MPs – four representing the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), one from the National League for Democracy (NLD), and one from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) – joined three appointed military MPs in swearing oaths as they took their seats at the Shan State parliament for the first time on Tuesday.

Speaking to Shan Herald after the assembly session today, Nang Kong Kham, an MP from SNLD representing Mong Hsu Township Constituency No 2, said that there were some points she did not agree with.

“In the oath, there were some points that I didn’t like; however for our nation to heal we must accept them,” she said. “I found out that there may be rules and laws that do no good to the general public. They should be disbanded in favour of regulations that work for the people.”

Sai Linn Myat, the new SNLD MP representing Mong Hsu Township Constituency No 1, said that as this was his first parliamentary meeting he listened and observed how the parliament works.

During the by-election on April 1, the SNLD won all six seats in the state parliament by-elections, including two in Kehsi Township, giving it a landslide victory in Shan State. The ruling NLD won only one state parliament seat, that was in Naungshwe Township. The USDP won one seat in Kengtung Township.

The SNLD, also known as Tiger Head Party, won a total of 40 seats in the 2015 election nationwide. It won 25 seats in the Shan State parliament, second only to the USDP with 33 seats. The NLD came in third with 23 seats. Another 34 seats were automatically reserved for military representatives.

By Shan Herald Agency for News