[JURIST] Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, filed suit Thursday in Myanmar’s Supreme Court to stop the dissolution of her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) under a controversial election law. Suu Kyi is asking the court to annul the part of the election law that bars political prisoners from participating in elections, and also to establish a parliament of lawmakers who won in the 1990 elections. The NLD also filed a similar suit. If the NLD does not re-register by May 6, it may face dissolution.
Last month, the NLD announced that it would not take part in the nation’s first elections in 20 years after the Myanmar Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by the NLD to repeal the election laws preventing Suu Kyi from participating. Myanmar also faced a bevy of criticism during the month of March, with the UN Human Rights Council adopting a resolution condemning the country for rights violations and urging the ruling junta to conduct fair and free elections. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Myanmar’s election laws do not meet international standards, and Human Rights Watch has said ” continues the sham political process that is aimed at creating the appearance of civilian rule with a military spine.”