Military-Backed Party Claims Early Dominance as Myanmar Begins Announcing Election Results

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Myanmar’s military-appointed election authorities have started releasing results from the first phase of the country’s long-delayed general election, declaring that the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party has secured a commanding lead, an outcome that critics say was all but predetermined.

The Union Election Commission announced through the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper that the USDP had won 38 seats in the 330-member lower house of parliament, known as the Pyithu Hluttaw, based on results from voting held on Dec. 28. Officials cautioned that many constituencies from the first phase have yet to be formally declared, but party leaders have already voiced confidence that the initial round has gone overwhelmingly in their favor.

According to the military government, more than 6 million people cast ballots in the first phase, representing about 52% of the more than 11 million eligible voters in the areas where polling was held. Authorities described the turnout as a decisive success, despite widespread calls for a boycott by opposition groups and ongoing questions about the credibility of the process.

The election commission also confirmed that USDP leader Khin Yi won a parliamentary seat representing a constituency in the capital, Naypyitaw. Khin Yi, a former general and police chief, is widely viewed as a close ally of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government. Official figures showed he received 49,006 votes out of 68,681 cast in his district.

In contrast, only limited gains were reported for other parties. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party and the Mon Unity Party were each credited with winning a single seat, underscoring the dominance of the USDP in the early results.

Although the announcement released Saturday covered only part of the vote, senior figures within the USDP said the broader picture was already clear. A senior party official said the USDP had won 88 of the 102 seats contested in the first phase. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly disclose results, said the party ran unopposed in 29 constituencies, facing no challengers at all.

Myanmar’s national legislature consists of two houses with a combined total of 664 seats. Under the country’s constitution, the military is guaranteed 25% of seats in each chamber, ensuring it retains decisive influence regardless of election outcomes. The party or alliance that controls a majority of elected seats can choose the president, who then appoints a Cabinet and forms a government.

The USDP official said the party had also secured about 85% of the contested seats in regional and state legislatures during the first phase, though final tallies will only be confirmed after voting concludes in later rounds.

The election is being held in three phases because of widespread armed conflict across the country. The first round took place in 102 townships, nearly one-third of Myanmar’s total. Additional voting is scheduled for Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, though authorities have said that at least 65 townships will not participate at all due to fighting between the military and armed resistance groups.

In total, more than 4,800 candidates from 57 political parties are registered to compete for seats in national and regional assemblies. However, only six parties are contesting seats nationwide with any realistic prospect of influence, and the USDP stands far ahead of its rivals in terms of resources, organization and access to the political system.

Critics, including opposition parties and pro-democracy groups, argue that the election is designed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to continued military rule rather than reflect the will of the electorate. They say the process is fundamentally flawed due to strict controls on campaigning, the detention or exile of political opponents, and the exclusion of major parties.

Military rule was reimposed in February 2021, when the armed forces overthrew the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, blocking her National League for Democracy from taking office for a second term despite its landslide victory in the 2020 election. The NLD was later dissolved in 2023, along with 39 other parties, after refusing to re-register under electoral rules introduced by the military authorities.

The takeover sparked mass protests and civil disobedience that were met with violent crackdowns, eventually escalating into a nationwide armed conflict that continues to destabilize large parts of the country. Against that backdrop, many observers see the current election not as a step toward reconciliation, but as an attempt by the military to entrench its power through controlled political institutions.