Myanmar holds first phase of election under military rule in 5 years

Who is taking part and who is not

Critics say the election is meant to give the appearance of legitimacy to military rule. The army removed the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, after her party won the 2020 election but was prevented from forming a new government.

Suu Kyi, now 80, is not taking part. She is serving a 27-year prison sentence on charges widely seen as political. Her party, the National League for Democracy, was dissolved in 2023 after refusing to register under new rules set by the military.

Several other parties also refused to register or chose not to run. Opposition groups have called for a boycott of the vote, AP said.

What critics say

Opponents say the results will not be credible because many major parties are excluded and there are limits on speech and political activity.

They say the expected win of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party means that the promised move toward civilian rule is not real.

Analyst Amael Vier, from the Asian Network for Free Elections, said many voters “do not have a real choice,” noting that 73% of voters in 2020 supported parties that no longer exist, according to AP.
How the election is being run

Security in Yangon increased ahead of voting, with guards at polling stations and military vehicles on the streets.

Election officials installed electronic voting machines, which are being used for the first time in Myanmar. Opposition and resistance groups had threatened to disrupt the vote, but AP reported that no major incidents were recorded.

Voting is being held in three phases:

• First phase: Sunday, in 102 of 330 townships
• Second phase: 11 January
• Third phase: 25 January
• Final results are expected in late January.

More than 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are contesting seats, but only six parties are competing nationwide.

Rights groups say political freedoms remain restricted. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says more than 22,000 people are detained for political reasons and over 7,600 civilians have been killed since 2021.

The UN says the conflict has displaced more than 3.6 million people. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said Myanmar is experiencing violence and intimidation, and that there are no conditions for free expression or peaceful assembly, according to AP.

Both the military and its opponents believe power is likely to stay with Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 takeover.