95 candidates to contest in Myanmar's by-election

YANGON - Altogether 88 candidates from 24 political parties and seven individuals totalling 95 will compete in Myanmar's by-election scheduled for April 1, according to the Union Election Commission on Tuesday.

The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), now led by U Than Htay, will be the two parties which send the most number of candidates for the upcoming by-election.

The candidates include 16 women, the commission said.

The USDP will compete in all 19 constituencies with vacant parliamentary seats, while the NLD in 18 excluding a constituency in Kayah state.

The by-election aims at filling the 19 vacant parliamentary seats, some of which were left after parliament members were appointed as government cabinet ministers, while other vacancies were left as some constituencies failed to hold the polling in the last general election in 2015.

Of the total 19 vacant parliamentary seats available in 22 townships in eight regions and state, nine are with the House of Representatives (Lower House), three with the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and seven with the state parliaments.

Campaign period is set for Jan 30 to March 30.

Election result or names of winning parliamentarians-elect will be announced within the next four days following the by-election.

In the Nov 8 general election in 2015, the NLD won an absolute majority of 255 or 79 percent with the House of Representatives, 135 or 80 percent with the House of Nationalities and 475 or 75.7 percent with the Region or State Parliament as well as 21 ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliaments.

Former ruling party USDP won 30 seats with the House of Representatives, 12 with the House of Nationalities, 74 with the Region or State Parliament as well as two ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliaments.