Months after applying for party registration, ethnic Kachin political parties say they have still not received permission from Burma's election commission to contest this year's election, leading some to believe that the Kachin will be excluded from the country's first polls in two decades.

Burma's Union Election Commission (EC) imposed a new regulation on Friday that registered political parties can fly their parties' flags only on their own office buildings and headquarters.

In preparation for the upcoming election, Burmese authorities have tasked 600 schoolteachers in Rangoon Division with the mission of organizing voter lists and inputting the information on computers, according to sources in Rangoon.

In preparation for the upcoming election, Burmese authorities have tasked 600 schoolteachers in Rangoon Division with the mission of organizing voter lists and inputting the information on computers, according to sources in Rangoon.

The leader of the breakaway National Democratic Force party says the leaders of the dissolved National League for Democracy are trying to prevent their former members from dealing with the new party.

Faced with the high cost of running a campaign, several newly formed political parties in Burma try to find ways to cooperate with each other.

The Union Democratic Party (UDP) on Thursday called for the military government not to affiliate itself with the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) party led by current Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein.

Burma's military junta has put its proposed Border Guard Force (BGF) plan on the back-burner in order to focus on dominating the upcoming election. They will have an additional advantage if polls do not open in areas controlled by armed ethnic cease-fire groups.

A convoy of cars and motorbikes flying their political flags started their regime-friendly campaign in Rangoon, Mandalay and other cities last week.

Many registered political parties have permission to publish election-related materials such as pamphlets, journals and booklets, but they  face severe financial problems which limit their efforts, according to party sources.