Union Solidarity and Development Party – USDP Chairman U Than Htay presented party’s policy, stance and work programmes through radio and TV on 15 September.

Esteemed citizens and people

I wish all of you the best. The tenure of the current Hluttaw and the current government will end soon, so the citizens will get an opportunity to create a new future. The upcoming Multiparty General Election will shape a new future for the country and the citizens. According to the multiparty democratic system, representatives elected by the citizens will have the opportunity to lead working for the future of the country and the citizens. So, the decision of the citizens is essential. If political parties want to lead creating a good future for the country and the citizens, it needs to have appropriate situations and the authority to do it. Only if the party wins the elections, it will get the power to create the future. It shows that the results of an election can shape the fate of the present time and the future of the country. The elected representatives and their parties will lead to creating the future of the country, but the citizens have the power to elect them. So, political parties have to present their party’s longterm objectives for the country, their party’s policy, their work programmes and their pledges so that the citizens can think which party they should vote for.

The policy and the work programmes of Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) are based on the historical background of the country, situations and realities to create a brighter future for the country and the citizens. The brighter future means the future in which the people can have better sources of livelihoods, the more secure future, the future which can safeguard freedom without oppression, the future in which every citizen can fully enjoy their rights secured by the Constitution, the future in which every citizen can fully enjoy the freedom of religion or belief guaranteed by the laws, the future in which a citizen does not need to worry for respecting and maintaining their culture and tradition, the future which has full of learning opportunities, and job opportunities for children, and young people of all gender identities, and the future hate less society in which people have mutual understanding, unity and equality.

Now I would like to speak about the pledges of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, and we will exert efforts to implement the commitments successfully. Dear respected citizens, when our party formed a government to work for the country, we set appropriate policies for a wide range of matters including social matters, economics, security, democracy, and peace and we effectively implemented the guidelines.

Similarly, when our party gets into the situation in which many people label it an opposition party, we are exerting efforts to become a strong opposition for check and balance to the (current) government in various matters related to the country and the citizens, as well as we are making efforts to set policies and tasks for the future.

To create a brighter future, the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s policy, which is based on the national interests of the entire Union and the citizens, focuses on non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, and perpetuation of sovereignty,

and the policy can never be inappropriate or incorrect as long as the country and the people survive.

Following our policy based on national interests, we ponder which tasks should be carried out for the country. The result is:

(1) We will continue the market-oriented system, and we will protect local investors and business persons by focusing on national interests. We will have to create reliable situations in which both local and foreign business persons can trust and make investments. The state will try to reduce the national debts of the country, which also affects each citizen within one year.

(2) We will take efforts urgently for the development of all sectors including agricultural, industrial and service sectors of the country.

(3) We will give higher priority for resolving the matters related to amending the Constitution. We will make efforts to make practical changes that will immediately reflect the essences of federal, the Union and democracy. For instance, our party will focus on possible amendments to the sections related to appointing chief ministers of regions and states, the areas related to ensuring equality, the laws associated with sharing authorities between the Union, and Regions and States, the laws related to the Constitutional Tribunal and the Union Election Commission to guarantee the three main pillars working in a check and balance way, Right to Recall Law, the laws related to choosing FPTP or PR electoral system, and other necessary laws.

(4) With full confidence, our party will continue peacemaking processes because peace is vital for establishing democracy which is essential for the Union.

(5) Our party will establish farmers’ affairs ministry to promote the agricultural sector that the citizens can rely on.

(6) For crop products, our party will create a market in which farmers can sell their crops at the prices higher than their crop growing and production costs.

(7) Our party will set minimum wages that reflect the costs of living.

(8) We will increase salaries and assistance for civil servants commencing 2021 in order that they can live their lives decently.

(9) Our party will review the current tax systems and make so that amendments to the system in order that the people can well afford to pay the appropriate amounts.

(10) We will exert efforts to support the more effective rule of law and to achieve stability and peace in all areas, and we will launch effective crackdown on drug trafficking.

(11) We will draft laws and apply existing relevant laws to protect endangered environment and ecosystem.

(12) Our party will exert efforts to create an education system that will boost students’ capabilities for memorizing, intuition, and analyzing, and that will enable students to practically apply their knowledge. And we will nurture the education system so that it can inspire mutual respect between students and teachers.

(13) For young people and women, we will implement tasks to promote public sports and to create more jobs. Our party will ensure gender equality so that different gender groups, without discrimination, will get the same opportunities, which reflect their quality and efforts. Our party will provide adequate healthcare services for every citizen.

(14) To guard national interests, we will review the businesses and projects in which foreign organizations and foreigners are involved.

(15) We will work hard to promote the dignity, prosperity and security of the entire Myanmar society.

We believe that our party alone, or an influential party leader alone, cannot successfully implement the pledges and the tasks, and solo efforts will not be able to achieve the objectives; solo efforts will be superficial. So, we adopt the policy to harmoniously cooperate with other parties, organizations, ethnic groups and outstanding individuals.

In the multiparty system, it is natural that political parties, politicians and electoral candidates make attractive pledges in their speeches and writings to gain respect and trust from the general public.

But it is not sure whether they have a genuine wish to implement the pledges practically. Within a few days, months or years, it will be apparent whether the politicians have the quality and the goodwill for the general public.

So, I want the voters to thoroughly ponder this precious, long-awaited opportunity to elect, which is very important for the country and the citizens. I don’t want to urge voters to elect me; I also don’t want to urge voters to vote for my party. Voters are those who will make the decisions; those who will elect. Political parties and electoral candidates are those who will be decided; those who will be chosen.

As I said earlier, I don’t want to call on the voters to elect us. Please clearly understand that this is your opportunity to make choices according to your own wishes, and to use that opportunity.

I wrote a post on my social network page; in my opinion, to be healthy, a person needs to abstain from unhealthy habits and needs to take physical exercise for a lengthy period.

Similarly, to be happy, a person needs to practise meditation for a prolonged period. To be wealthy, a person needs to save money, make investments and take risks for a lengthy period. But, to make the entire country and the people healthy, happy and wealthy, just a single day is needed.

That means to make a “correct choice”. So, I solemnly would like to call on the voters to go to the polling stations and make choices out of various parties and candidates, who have multiple colours and qualities, to grasp the opportunity. Let’s create a bright future. I wish our esteemed people to have physical and mental well-being.