Myanmar, Dec 28 : Nearly five years after toppling Myanmar’s elected government, the ruling military junta on Sunday began polling in a tightly controlled national election, the first organised by the regime since it seized power in February 2021.
The military takeover had triggered widespread protests and plunged the country into a prolonged and violent civil war that continues to destabilise large parts of Myanmar. The junta has claimed the election will pave the way for a return to democracy, a position strongly rejected by opposition groups and human rights organisations, which view the exercise as an attempt to legitimise continued military rule.
Myanmar’s most prominent political leader, whose government was ousted in the 2021 coup, remains imprisoned, while her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been dissolved, effectively excluding it from the electoral process. According to CNN, the political landscape is heavily skewed in favour of the military, with most participating parties aligned with or backed by the junta.
Voting began on Sunday in select areas and is being conducted in three phases, with additional rounds scheduled for January 11 and January 25. Authorities have not indicated when final results will be announced.
Large swathes of the country will not take part in the polls due to ongoing clashes between junta forces and a coalition of ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy fighters. Voting has been declared impossible in several regions, particularly along border areas and parts of central Myanmar, amid persistent fighting.
Over the past year, rebel groups have inflicted significant setbacks on junta forces, briefly fuelling speculation that the military’s hold on power could weaken.
Security has been tightened nationwide ahead of the vote, with hundreds arrested under a new law criminalising criticism of the election or attempts to disrupt the process. Military operations against opponents have continued even as polling is underway.
The junta has rejected allegations of abuses, stating it is targeting “terrorists” and asserting that the election aims to establish what it calls a “genuine, disciplined multiparty democratic system.” It has also dismissed international criticism of the polls.
The United States and most Western nations do not recognise the junta as Myanmar’s legitimate government, while several Asian countries, including Japan and Malaysia, have also voiced criticism of the election process.