Salai Hkwi Yang, a spokesperson for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), said his party plans to only contest 36 of Chin State’s 39 constituencies for the 2020 general election in order to make room for the ethnic parties to win the remaining constituencies.
The USDP is not contesting Matupi and Falam townships and a seat for House of Nationalities for Hakha Township, he said. “I think their candidates should be elected for these constituencies. And that’s why we’re not fielding our candidates for these townships. During the 2018 by-election, we did not contest their candidates. So we’re maintaining that tradition.”
Salai Hkwi Yang expects USDP to win the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities.
“We want state-based ethnic parties to win more seats in the (Chin) State Parliament. Because we are a big party, our strategy is to secure seats for the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities. We are preparing to win more seats in the Union Parliament rather than in the State Parliament,” he said.
USDP won the 2010 general election. Maj-Gen Hong Ngai for the USDP was elected Chief Minister of Chin State. But during the last election in 2015, USDP won only five seats in Chin State. The NLD won the majority of seats in the state.
Polling stations for the upcoming election will open on November 8.