Myanmar's leading political parties exhort youth

YANGON (Xinhua) - Myanmar's leading political parties have moved to exhort youths across the nation as the country's by- election slated for later this year and general election in 2015 are drawing near, observers said here Saturday.

The opposition National League of Democracy (NLD) is holding a first-ever nation-wide youth conference here.

Addressing the two-day conference until Sunday, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi stressed that the youth are accountable for building up their right future with full of swing.

Suu Kyi urged the youth to raise their capabilities to undertake the tasks for the benefit of the nation's people.

Altogether 150 NLD party's youth representatives across the country joined the conference, where a central youth leading committee and working committee will be formed whose members will be chosen at the event.

Meanwhile, the first-ever youth forum held by Myanmar's ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is also underway in Nay Pyi Taw.

At the Farmers, Workers and Youth Forum, the USDP is shaping the role of youths and encouraging them to participate in the party's activities and to carry out the tasks for the welfare of people in the country, the Union Daily quoted the party's Chairman U Shwe Mann as saying.

Both USDP and NLD have disclosed that they will run the upcoming second by-election in all 31 vacant constituencies for open parliamentary seats, according to an earlier report.

Myanmar last held its general election on Nov. 7, 2010 and a by- election on April 1, 2012.

There are 65 political parties in Myanmar.