The leadership of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is set for a potential shake-up later this year, with chair Than Htay facing the prospect of being replaced at the party’s August conference.
The entire central executive committee will step down and then run for re-election at the conference, said USDP spokesperson Nandar Hla Myint. Most of the current members may get re-elected, or more new members may get elected,” he told a recent press conference.
Following a dismal performance in last year’s general election, which saw the party’s already meagre share of parliamentary seats reduced even further, top execs may be replaced by disappointed party members at the conference.
“We did our best in the hopes that the results would be more honourable than the 2015 election this time around,” Nandar Hla Myint said.
He did not say whether or not Than Htay would stand for re-election.
The USDP won 33 seats in the Union Parliament last year, down from 41 in 2015. And it picked up just 38 seats in regional and state legislatures, bringing its total number of MPs to 71. The National League for Democracy, meanwhile, won 920 seats in the November 8 poll.
Asked if the party’s resounding defeat would lead to reforms, Nandar Hla Myint said the five-year term of the current chair and the central executive committee would be up in August and another conference would be held to reassess the role of the leadership within the party.
“Soon there’ll be meetings in different regions, townships, and districts. Then there’ll be a central conference,” he said, without elabaorating.
The USDP’s last conference was held in August 2016, Than Htay took over as chair from former president Thein Sein.
Than Htay told a press conference in 2016 that he would do his best to achieve the victory the party deserves in the 2020 election.
Two days after last year’s election he said in a video posted to Facebook that although he won his seat in Naypyoitaw’s Zeya Thiri township, he would take responsibility for the fact that the party as a whole only won a few seats.
“Whatever the results, I have to take responsibility as the leader of a party. I believe I am responsible as a party leader for the fcat that we didn’t receive the victory we hoped for,” he said.
