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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Voters in Myanmar went to the polls Sunday for the first phase of the country's first general election in five years, conducted under military government supervision while civil war engulfs much of the nation.
Voting took place in 102 of Myanmar's 330 townships, with polls set up at high schools, government buildings, and religious facilities in Yangon, Naypyitaw, and other areas.
The election represents the military's attempt to transition to nominal civilian rule following its February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.
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Why It Matters
This election occurs against a backdrop of severe political repression and ongoing violence that has killed over 7,600 civilians and displaced 3.6 million people since the 2021 military takeover.
The results will determine whether the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party can claim democratic legitimacy for continued rule, potentially influencing international relations with neighbors like China, India, and Thailand who may use the election as justification for continued support.
Western nations maintain sanctions against Myanmar's ruling generals, viewing the election as fundamentally flawed.
What To Know
The election lacks major opposition parties after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was dissolved in 2023 for refusing to register under new military rules. Suu Kyi, 80, remains imprisoned serving a 27-year sentence on charges widely considered politically motivated. More than 22,000 people are currently detained for political offenses, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Security was visibly heightened in Yangon on Saturday, with armed guards stationed outside polling stations and military trucks patrolling roads. Electronic voting machines are being used for the first time in Myanmar. A new Election Protection Law has imposed harsh penalties and restrictions that effectively bar all public criticism of the polls.
While over 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are competing for seats in national and regional legislatures, only six parties are competing nationwide with any possibility of gaining significant parliamentary influence. Opposition groups called for a voter boycott, though no major disruptions occurred Sunday despite vows from armed resistance groups.
What People Are Saying
UN Special Procedures wrote on X: "URGENT: Tom Andrews @RapporteurUn urges governments to reject sham polls in #Myanmar as junta ratchets up coercion of citizens to vote. Warns election starting 28 December is engineered to manufacture a façade of legitimacy."
Open Source Intel wrote on X: "Overshadowed by civil war and doubts about the credibility of the polls, voters in Myanmar were casting their ballots in a general election starting on Sunday, the first since a military coup toppled the last civilian government in 2021."
Moe Moe Myint, a Myanmar voter, told AFP: "It is impossible for this election to be free and fair."
She added: "How can we support a junta-run election when this military has destroyed our lives? We are homeless, hiding in jungles, and living between life and death."
UN Rights Chief Volker Turk told reporters last week: "These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression."
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What Happens Next?
The election continues in three phases, with the second round scheduled for January 11 and the third on January 25.
Final results are expected to be announced in late January.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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