Myanmar Junta Holds First Elections since 2021

sajadi Editor : Widi - Sunday, 28 December 2025 - 12:53 WIB

Sunday, 28 December 2025 - 12:53 WIB

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Naypyidaw, MINA – Myanmar’s military junta on Sunday began the first of three phases in a tightly controlled general election, the first national poll since it seized power in a 2021 coup. The vote has been widely dismissed internationally as illegitimate and is being held under severe restrictions while the country is engulfed in civil war, Anadolu Agency reported.

According to state media, voting commenced at 6 a.m. local time in the initial phase, covering parts of the country. The process is staggered, with the second and third phases scheduled for January 11 and January 25, 2026. The military has stated the election will restore a “genuine, disciplined multi-party democracy,” but the vote excludes the country’s most popular political force.

The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide victory in the 2020 election, was dissolved in 2023. Its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, remains imprisoned. With the NLD banned, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is the dominant contestant.

The process is heavily constrained. Voting will only occur in approximately 265 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, as the junta does not control vast areas of the country where ethnic armed organizations and people’s defense forces are fighting for control. The military-drafted constitution also guarantees the armed forces 25% of parliamentary seats regardless of the vote outcome.

The election takes place as the nation grapples with a devastating internal conflict sparked by the coup. The conflict has left thousands dead and displaced more than 3.5 million people. The junta has implemented laws threatening severe punishment, including the death penalty, for criticizing or disrupting the polls.

International reaction has been sharply critical. The United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, and European Union have condemned the election as a “sham,” stating the necessary conditions for a free and fair process do not exist. In contrast, key allies of the junta, China and Russia, have signaled support for the electoral process. The junta has not announced a date for the release of the results.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)