LEADER 03960nam 2200505 450 001 9910794104403321 005 20211109001402.0 010 $a981-4881-79-1 024 7 $a10.1355/9789814881791 035 $a(CKB)4100000011341649 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC6259468 035 $a(DE-B1597)567766 035 $a(DE-B1597)9789814881791 035 $a(OCoLC)1198931782 035 $a(UkCbUP)CR9789814881791 035 $a(MdBmJHUP)musev2_85291 035 $a(EXLCZ)994100000011341649 100 $a20211001d2020|||| uy| 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur||||||||||| 181 $ctxt$2rdacontent 182 $cc$2rdamedia 183 $acr$2rdacarrier 200 10$aParty mergers in Myanmar $ea new development /$fSu Mon Thant$b[electronic resource] 210 1$aSingapore :$cISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute,$d2020. 215 $a1 online resource (42 pages) $cdigital, PDF file(s) 225 1 $aTrends in Southeast Asia ;$v2020, issue 8 300 $aTitle from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 08 Oct 2021). 311 $a981-4881-78-3 327 $tForeword --$tExecutive summary --$tIntroduction --$tUnattractive strategy becomes a trend --$tCross-alliance collaborations --$tMove towards a shared federal vision --$tCase studies : Five ethnic party mergers --$tConclusion. 330 $aParty mergers are a new development in Myanmar politics. Given that such mergers often assist the consolidation of new democratic regimes, some broader system-wide effects may also occur. Myanmar's ethnic parties consistently choose merger strategies over other forms of pre-electoral coalition. This highlights a transition from a focus on questions of authoritarianism and democracy to one on the creation of a federal system of government with a stronger cleavage between competing Bamar and ethnic nationalisms. Despite cooperation among political parties outside the electoral process, pre-electoral coalitions such as constituency-sharing or campaigning for allies have generally not been successful. Five of the six mergers among ethnic parties attempted prior to the 2015 general election failed. However, between 2017 and 2019, five mergers involving parties representing the Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin or Karen, and Mon ethnicities, achieved success. The successful mergers were motivated not only by desires for electoral success in 2020 but also by shared federal aims, which involve ethnic parties in Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin or Karen, and Mon states forming a strong local party in their respective regions to strive for ethnic equality and self-determination. The mergers are between parties with markedly different platforms and their success is conditioned by their preferences for particular kinds of federalism. Mergers cannot guarantee electoral success. And other pre-electoral coalitions, such as avoiding competition for the same constituencies, also proved successful in the 2018 by-elections. But what mergers can uniquely do is respond to public demand for parties to unite and make the resulting party stronger in terms of resources and public support. In general, mergers can reduce system fragmentation, avoid vote wastage and lead to the formation of stable parties. Ethnic party mergers also simplify party labels for voters and make it easier for them to vote on the basis of ethnic preferences. In addition, mergers can increase public interest and political participation among members of ethnic communities. 410 0$aTrends in Southeast Asia ;$v2020, issue 8. 606 $aPolitical parties$zBurma 606 $aPolitics, Practical$zBurma 607 $aBurma$xPolitics and government$y1988- 615 0$aPolitical parties 615 0$aPolitics, Practical 676 $a320.9591 700 $aThant$b Su Mon$01555680 801 0$bUkCbUP 801 1$bUkCbUP 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910794104403321 996 $aParty mergers in Myanmar$93817777 997 $aUNINA