The Political Parties Registration Law, published in official newspapers, prohibits anyone convicted by a court of law from joining a political party, making them ineligible to become a candidate. It also instructs parties to expel members who are "not in conformity with the qualification to be members of a party,"
a clause that could force Suu Kyi's expulsion. Parties that don't register automatically cease to exist, the law says. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, was convicted last August of violating the terms of her house arrest by briefly sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside residence. She was sentenced to a new term of house arrest that is to end this November. The sentence was seen as a way to keep Suu Kyi locked up during the election campaign. Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed her latest appeal for freedom. The new election law was immediately criticized by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party and by the United States and Britain. League Deputy Chairman Tin Oo called the law unfair, politically motivated and designed to restrict activities of the party, which has already been battered by arrests and harassment. "The fact that (party) registration will be allowed only after expulsion of a convicted member is too much. This is politically motivated" toward Suu Kyi, he told reporters. The junta enacted five election-related laws Monday, two of which have now been made public. Three more are to be unveiled in coming days. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Suu Kyi should be released from house arrest so she can "play an active role in the political life of the country going forward." "We've seen the first of five (laws). I think it would be fair to say that what we've seen so far is disappointing and regrettable," Campbell said during a visit to Malaysia. The registration law says existing political parties have 60 days from Monday to register with an Election Committee whose members are to be appointed by the junta. The government currently recognizes 10 parties. The law also bars members of religious orders and civil servants from joining political parties. The date of the elections has not been announced, and Suu Kyi's party has not said whether it will contest the balloting. The government announced in 2008 that elections will take place sometime in 2010. The last elections in 1990 were won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's party, but the military refused to hand over power. Her party says the new constitution of 2008 is unfair and gives the military controlling say in government. Suu Kyi's lawyer and a senior party member, Nyan Win, said the new law also bars people who have lodged an appeal against a conviction, which he said "clearly refers" to Suu Kyi. "It is very unfair that a party member serving a prison term for his or her political convictions has to be expelled from the party. This clause amounts to interfering in party internal affairs," said Aung Thein, a lawyer who has defended activists in the country. He said the provision would exclude many pro-democracy individuals who have been imprisoned for their beliefs. Human rights groups say the junta has jailed about 2,100 political prisoners. It was widely assumed that Suu Kyi would be shut out since a provision in the constitution bars anyone with foreign ties from taking part in elections. Suu Kyi's now-deceased husband was British, her two sons have British citizenship, and she has been described by the junta as enjoying special links with Britain. "We're going to need to study the election laws carefully once they've all been released," British Ambassa Andrew Heyn said. "But it's regrettable and very disappointing that the laws are not based on a dialogue with a range of political opinion." He stressed that the release of political prisoners, freedom for all to participate in the elections, freedom to campaign and access to media are essential for the elections to be credible.
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