Final voting begins in Myanmar, military-backed party set to win
Myanmar began the final phase of its general election on Sunday, with polling under way in 60 townships including major urban centres such as Yangon and Mandalay.
The three-stage election, conducted amid a protracted civil war, has drawn heavy criticism at home and abroad. Turnout in the first two rounds on December 28 and January 11 hovered around 55 percent, far below participation levels seen in the 2015 and 2020 elections held under civilian rule.
The vote comes four years after the military seized power in a February 2021 coup that toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The former leader, now 80, remains in detention, while her National League for Democracy and dozens of other opposition parties have been dissolved for failing to re-register under junta-imposed rules.
Although the junta says it plans to hand over authority to a new government by April, the United Nations, Western governments and human rights groups have dismissed the election as neither free nor fair. ASEAN has declined to send observers, with Malaysia confirming the regional bloc will not recognise the outcome.
Violence has persisted throughout the campaign, with fighting and air strikes reported in Rakhine, Shan and Kayin states, further limiting voting in conflict-hit areas. Security restrictions and emergency laws have also curtailed campaigning and public debate.
According to official figures, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has already secured 193 of 209 seats in the lower house and 52 of 78 seats in the upper house, placing it firmly in control of the next parliament. Critics say the results underscore the military’s determination to retain political power, rather than restore democratic legitimacy.
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