ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Solomon | New Delhi – The European Union's stance that the Burmese military junta's proposed general elections in 2010 would lack credibility unless it releases detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been welcomed by the National League for Democracy on Tuesday.

NLD spokesperson Nyan Win said, his party agrees with the EU's statement maintaining that the release of party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be the first step in the process of political reform.

On Monday, the European Union, in a statement, said "the elections scheduled for 2010 will have no credibility unless the Burma/Myanmar authorities unconditionally release all political prisoners, in particular Daw Aung San Suu Kyi…"

The EU also urged the junta to initiate a political process with the support of the United Nations on the basis of an inclusive, long-term dialogue in which the opposition and ethnic groups can participate fully.

"The EU's statement is correct because Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of the 1990 general election winning party NLD," said Nyan Win.

"It is neither fair nor legal to hold the election while detaining the leader of the last general election winning party and other political activists," he added.

The NLD in Burma's last general elections in 1990 won a landslide victory but the military junta disallowed it from forming a government to rule the country.

Nyan Win, however, said releasing Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners does not mean that the party will accept the ensuing election and will contest as a political party. He said it would be the first step and should be followed by meaningful political discussions.

"At first they [government] should release all political prisoners and then there should be co-ordination about the 2010 general election between all political parties and the present government," Nyan Win said.

The European Union along with the United States has stepped up its financial sanction against Burma's military rulers for their brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters last year.