Myanmar Concludes Final Phase of Election as Military Consolidates Grip on Power

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Voting took place on Sunday in Myanmar’s final round of a three-stage general election, bringing to a close a nearly monthlong process that has already guaranteed the country’s military rulers and their political allies a parliamentary majority to form the next government.

The election has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures, rights groups and foreign governments, who say the process is neither free nor fair and is intended to legitimize the military’s continued hold on power following its overthrow of the elected civilian government in February 2021.

The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party has dominated the vote so far, winning the vast majority of seats contested in the first two phases. Under Myanmar’s constitution, the military automatically controls 25% of the seats in both chambers of the national Parliament, ensuring that it and its allied parties retain decisive influence over the legislature regardless of the outcome at the polls.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief who has led the country since the coup, is widely expected by both supporters and critics to become president once the new Parliament convenes. Speaking to reporters on Sunday after visiting a polling station in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, Min Aung Hlaing dismissed international criticism of the election.

“The people who live in Myanmar are the ones who vote, not those from outside,” he said. “We are not concerned whether this is recognized by foreign countries or not. We recognize the people’s vote.”

When asked whether he would take part in the next government, he declined to comment, saying the presidency would be determined once Parliament meets.

The vote has been held amid an ongoing civil war that erupted after the military takeover sparked mass protests and armed resistance across the country. Persistent fighting and security concerns meant that no voting was held in more than one-fifth of Myanmar’s 330 townships, further undermining the credibility of the process in the eyes of critics.

Malaysia’s foreign minister said earlier this week that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations did not send election observers and would not endorse the results, citing the lack of inclusive participation and the absence of conditions for a free and fair vote. Myanmar remains a member of the regional bloc but has been diplomatically isolated since the coup.

Sunday’s voting began at 6 a.m. in 61 townships across six regions and three states, including areas that have experienced clashes between military forces and armed opposition groups in recent months. The earlier rounds of voting, held on Dec. 28 and Jan. 11, were disrupted by attacks on polling stations and government buildings in several townships. The military government said at least two local administrative officials were killed in those incidents.

At a polling station in Yangon’s Dagon township, 86-year-old voter Soe Tint said he took part in the election in the hope that it would bring stability. “I want the country to be peaceful and to develop in all sectors, including education,” he said. Others expressed deep skepticism. “I’m not expecting anything at all, because there is no motivation,” said Lae Lae Yi, 62, after casting her ballot at the same location.

The absence of the country’s most popular political force loomed large over the election. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison sentence following a series of convictions widely viewed by her supporters as politically motivated. Her party, the National League for Democracy, which won landslide victories in the 2015 and 2020 elections, did not participate after it was dissolved in 2023 for refusing to register under new rules imposed by the military authorities.

Several other parties also declined to register or field candidates, saying the conditions were fundamentally unfair, while opposition groups called on voters to boycott the polls altogether. A recently enacted Election Protection Law has imposed severe penalties for public criticism of the vote, and authorities have charged more than 400 people in recent weeks for activities such as distributing leaflets or posting critical content online.

The election has been conducted in phases because of the conflict. The first two rounds covered 202 townships, while 67 townships — largely in areas controlled by armed resistance groups — did not take part at all. As a result, the size of the national Parliament has been reduced from 664 seats to 586.

Final results for all parliamentary seats are expected to be announced later this week. The military government has said the new Parliament will convene in March, with a new administration to be formed in April. Under Myanmar’s political system, the party or coalition holding a majority in the combined upper and lower houses selects the president, who then appoints a Cabinet and forms the government.

More than 4,800 candidates from 57 political parties have contested seats in national and regional legislatures, though only six parties competed nationwide. Aside from the military-backed party, 17 other parties have secured a small number of seats, typically ranging from one to 10 each.

The military government has said there are more than 24 million eligible voters, roughly 35% fewer than in the 2020 election. Turnout in the first two rounds was reported to be between 50% and 60%, though those figures could not be independently verified.