Myanmar will hold the first phase of its long-delayed general election on December 28, state television announced on Monday, marking the country’s first polls in nearly five years. The move has already drawn international criticism, with observers dismissing it as an attempt by the ruling junta to entrench its power.
The Union Election Commission said additional phases of voting would take place between December and January, with dates to be announced later for security reasons. According to state media, 55 political parties have registered to participate, but only nine plan to contest nationwide, while six others remain under review.
The announcement comes as Myanmar grapples with ongoing conflict following the 2021 military coup that ousted the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has faced armed resistance across the country, with many opposition groups either barred from the polls or opting to boycott them.
Rights groups and Western governments have dismissed the elections as a sham, warning they will likely be dominated by military-aligned parties and proxies. The interim administration has pledged to conduct voting in more than 300 constituencies, including areas currently held by armed groups opposed to military rule.
Preparations have also been hampered by conflict. A nationwide census last year covered only 145 of Myanmar’s 330 townships. The military continues to justify its February 2021 takeover by citing alleged fraud in the November 2020 election, which Suu Kyi’s party had won in a landslide. International monitors found no evidence of irregularities capable of altering that outcome.
The December polls are widely seen as a test of the junta’s ability to project legitimacy at home and abroad, even as repression and violence persist across the country.
