Juan Carlos Eusebio

THE UNION SOLIDARITY DEVELOPMENT PARTY OF MYANMAR: EMPHASIZING BURMESE VALUES FOR AN EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL AUGMENTATION Myanmar is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world it is made up between 60 – 135 ethnic groups. Myanmar individuals are friendly, kind, and hospitable. However, the Burmese have traditionally live mainly in the river valleys and plains, particularly around the Irrawaddy River while the smaller ethnic minorities lived in the mountains and hills. Poor communications and transportation have tended to isolate ethnic groups from one another and form the lowland Burmese. Many highland people have never visited the lowlands and vice-versa. Aside from the recent events that has kept the entire international community with a negative eye towards Myanmar’s government, by pointing out the poor communications and transportation that has hindered the people of Myanmar’s progress, it is a must for aspiring candidates to provide a significant and well substantiated solution with these problems. It is indeed an open race for all political parties in the country in the upcoming general elections. Below is a list of strategies that the aspiring candidate and his party could pursue for his victory in the upcoming general elections: Achieving government efficiency through clear and peaceful public relations • The candidate and his party must connect with all qualified voters. He should have a clear message for his constituents, a platform that would improve every citizen’s lives. Government efficiency is a subject that will fuel the candidate and his party’s vision and platform. • The image of the candidate and his party must strongly uphold the rich cultural values of Myanmar. The country is known to be one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, by enriching its strengths and positive ways, the candidate must portray an inclusive image to the public. • People root for candidates that are inclusive, there is no negative aspects about promoting peace and prosperity among diverse ethnic groups. The candidate’s image of being the foundation of promoting peace and inclusivity in Myanmar is a step towards progress for a better future through the values of the rich culture that has been engraved in the country from its history. • In order to achieve the above-mentioned suggestions, the candidate must use communications as a tool to get him votes. The tools for communications: - Social Media (the active social media users of Myanmar has grown from 20% in 2016 to 34% in the 1st quarter of 2018) The Social Media industry have proven that it has become a much reliable communication tool for aspiring presidential candidates all over the world. Former US President Barack Obama’s campaign were filled with social media strategies that have propelled him into being elected, other prominent politicians such as President Duterte from the Philippines, and French President Emmanuel Macron also used Social Media to relay its message and to emphasize on their key platforms for the better understanding of its voters. - Facebook (according to a private firm, there are approximately 18 million users from Myanmar) Facebook is the biggest social media platform in the country, and it would absolutely be crucial for the candidate to relay his message through Facebook in order to garner votes from different parts of Myanmar. The candidate should also use Facebook to address the people about his stance and solutions regarding key issues that the audience from Myanmar will support and connect it through their families and friends. - Before the start of the campaign period, the candidate’s social media team must garner a large audience and introduce the candidate’s image in order for his followers to know more about him. During the campaign period, the social media team will use this tool to document and share every area he visits, his stance on key issues, and the importance of why the candidate should be elected into office. - Appropriate Image of the candidate and its party by assessing the issues that the USDP have went through in the past elections, the party’s brand of leadership must connect with the people with an inclusive approach and not to be feared and criticized for its past mistakes and misconceptions, but to be viewed as an efficient and proactive party that will solve the country’s problems. Improving the image of Myanmar in a global perspective for political augmentation • Due to recent events in Myanmar, specifically, the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, it has caused negativity for Myanmar’s place in the international community, highlighting the leadership of its current government. Despite of the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) stance on patriotism and self-sufficiency, the candidate and its party must rehabilitate Myanmar’s image through its rich culture and values in order to gain political augmentation and strong support from the international community. • Other recent news and global reviews have stated the rampant military abuses to private citizens and detractors of the military. The USDP must fill-up the country’s news outlets with positive reviews of the military and ensuring the public that the military is reliable of protecting the people’s interests and welfare. • The USDP must have a strong but peaceful image in order to avoid interference from strong nations. An image of having an efficient government and progression of Myanmar would help suffice the USDP’s chances for the upcoming general elections. • The party must provide its constituents an effective solution to help solve Myanmar’s current issues, an image of being efficient problem solvers rather than the rival National League of Democracy (NLD) party’s image of promising democratic values as the standard for the country’s success. The party should also point out that not every democratic value that the NLD is proposing are applicable to Myanmar’s current problems. • In recent elections from other countries, the electorate of key nations have elected strongmen into office, for example, the Philippines have elected Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, the United States have elected Donald Trump in 2017, and Russia have re-elected Vladimir Putin in 2018. All of which have strong personalities and effective solutions to address important issues from their platforms. • The party should also propose an alternative platform to a failed democracy that the people of Myanmar could rely on while solving the necessary issues that the country is currently facing. The rival NLD party will blame the military’s excessive power for its failed promises during its term, which is a reason for the USDP to go after the inefficient leadership of the NLD. Translating the motto and objectives of the Union Solidarity and Development Party into political gain Motto: “Morale, Discipline, Solidarity, Unity” • Portraying leaders with positive and powerful morale at times where the country lacks thereof would be a good message to start with in obtaining the public’s attention. • Discipline is one of the core values of Myanmar’s rich culture, however, due to recent negative reports about the military, the rivals will use the those against the military’s use of violence towards its citizens which would affect the image of the USDP negatively. The party should have an image of leading by example towards the progress of Myanmar through discipline and integrity. • Promoting solidarity in solving Myanmar’s important issues would gain the voters’ trust towards the USDP’s candidates. • Enhancing the unity of the party leaders/candidates for gearing towards a positive and proactive campaign that would help deviate the current problems that Myanmar is facing right now. Sources: • PEOPLE OF MYANMAR (http://factsanddetails.com/southeastasia/Myanmar/sub5_5c/entry3032.html) • UNION SOLIDARITY AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Solidarity_and_Development_Party) • UNION SOLIDARITY AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Solidarity_and_Development_Association) • NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_League_for_Democracy) • MYANMAR POLITICAL PARTIES AT A TIME OF TRANSITION: POLITICAL PARTY DYNAMICS AT THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL (https://www.themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Report_Myanmar_Political_P arties_at_a_Time_of_Transition_2015_ENG.pdf) • HISTORY OF MYANMAR’S ELECTIONS (https://opendevelopmentmyanmar.net/topics/elections/) • FOCUS IN MYANMAR TURNS INTO 2020 ELECTION (https://www.voanews.com/a/myanmar2020-election/-.html) • A BRIEF GUIDE TO MYANMAR’S ELECTIONS (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/world/asia/myanmar-election-president-aung-san-suukyi-explainer.html) • MYANMAR’S MILITARY: THE POWER AUNG SAN SUU KYI CAN’T CONTROL (https://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/21/asia/myanmar-military-the-real-power/index.html?nost=-) • MYANMAR’S ELECTION: IS REFORM REAL? (https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/myanmars-elections-reform-real)