First, the NLD as a self-proclaimed national party, cross-cutting ethnic lines, doesn’t even has a federal policy position paper.

Asked any registered political party in the matured democratic countries, whether it could survive as a party and go into an election campaign without a well-defined policy position on every major political issue. It will look at the one who posed such question in disbelieve, for every party must have position papers on all issues that is concerned with the country at all time.

It is astonishing that the NLD doesn’t even have a position paper on federalism. To date, the party has never made known on what it has in store and never spelled out, in form of a position paper on the subject. It now only hides behind the facade of NCA-based peace negotiation process and the outcomes it will produce from 21st Century Panglong and eventual political settlement, thereafter.

The NLD might reasoned that producing position paper on federalism would influence other light weight players and won’t be fair. But this is hardly an argument, as all stakeholders (meaning: political parties and ethnic armies) must also have position papers on all issues that are important to the country and thrash it out during the 21st Century Panglong.

If other middle or light weight parties don’t make their positions public, it is not bad. But a national party without position paper on such an important issue like federalism is impossible and inappropriate, as it looks like a beginner that doesn’t understand democratic procedure and lack of sophistication, so to speak.

Link to the story: Does the National League for Democracy really want a federal system?