Nyo Nyo Thin, an MP in the Rangoon regional parliament, has announced her intention to run in the upcoming election as an independent candidate in the Rangoon township of Bahan.

After a recently failed bid to join opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD), Nyo Nyo Thin revealed her plans at a press conference on Friday.

“In order to continue my political career, I must remain in the parliament,” she said. “Once the NLD begins their election campaign, I will be heading to the areas where they are campaigning to use my political credibility and image to urge voters to back the party – with the exception of my own constituency where I will be facing off against their candidate.”

The high-profile activist, who holds a Doctorate in Law from Japan’s Yokohama National University, was previously nominated as an election candidate by the NLD’s Rangoon division Election Candidate Nomination Committee with a majority of votes from the membership.

Surprisingly, she was rejected by the party’s leadership despite meeting the criteria listed by the party guidelines for election appointment. She has since demanded an explanation from the NLD’s Central Executive Committee.

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The regional MP won the 2010 election as a candidate of the Democratic Party-Myanmar (DPM) in Bahan. She later resigned from the DPM and continued her post as an independent.

The Union Election Commission stated on Thursday that 107 candidates have so far submitted their names as independents to run in the November election.

Read more DVB coverage on the 2015 general election