Sweeping Victory for Chin Parties in Three Townships

9 November 2010: Ethnic Chin parties have declared decisive victory in three townships in northern Chin State even as the final poll results are being tabulated, to be later officially announced by the District-level Election Commission.

According to unofficial results, the Chin National Party (CNP) has decisively won all contested seats in Thantlang and Hakha Townships, while the Chin Progressive Party (CPP) has also swept all parliamentary seats up for grabs in Falam Township.

According to a senior CNP official in Hakha, his party won 70 perecent of the votes in the Township, racking up all contested seats, including the state legistlative seat and seats for the two houses of national parliament. Hakha Township, the seat of Chin State capital, has a total of 22969 registered voters.

In Thantlang Township, the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDp) and the National Unity Party (NUP) suffered an ambarassing upset as the majority of voters sided with the CNP on Sunday.

The most tightly contested seat was the State Legislative seat from constituency (2) where Dr. Hmuh Thang, a highly respected physician and former independent candidate elected in the 1990 elections was standing as a USPD candidate against Robin, the less known candidate from the CNP.obin defeated Dr. Hmuh Thang by a margin of 850 votes in a constituency that has over 12,000 registered voters.

It was otherwise a comfortable win for the Chin National Party for all of the contested seats.

The election in the Thantlang Township saw the first ever woman candidate being elected to public office. Daw Za Tlem, a high school teacher standing as a CNP candidate for People’s Parliament (Lower House) enjoyed a comfortable victory over her two male opponents from the USDP and NUP.

Although the official results are yet to be announced, a CNP source has said that the losing USDP candidates have conceded defeat to the victor Chin party in Thantlang.

In Falam Township, the Chin Progressive Party (CCP) has also reportedly won all of the five legislative seats up for grabs in the November 7 poll.

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Chinland Guardian