Myanmar’s junta chief announced elections to be held by January 2026, marking the first post-coup vote. The elections are claimed to be free and fair, but many critics doubt their legitimacy amid ongoing conflict and repression. Significant humanitarian issues persist, with millions displaced and in need of aid.
Myanmar’s junta leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, has announced plans to hold national elections in December 2025 or January 2026. This will be the first election since the military coup in 2021. The General emphasized that the elections would be conducted in a “free and fair” manner and noted that 53 political parties have submitted their participation lists. He also extended an invitation for observation teams from Belarus to monitor the upcoming elections.
Since seizing power in 2021, the military junta has claimed widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 elections, which Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won. Following the coup, a violent crackdown on dissent ensued, leading to ongoing fighting and significant delays in the electoral process, prompting critics to assert that any future elections will not be legitimate.
The election commission, appointed by the junta, dissolved the NLD in 2022 for not complying with the new military electoral law. In December, the junta’s foreign minister indicated progress towards elections in 2025, but in January, a further extension of the state of emergency effectively postponed any polling until later that year. Southeast Asian ministers have urged the junta to prioritize a ceasefire rather than pursuing elections amid ongoing civil unrest.
The United States has condemned any elections conducted under military rule, branding them a potential “sham,” while experts have expressed strong opposition to the junta’s plans. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with reports of over 6,300 civilian deaths and over 3.5 million people displaced since the coup, as nearly 20 million residents are projected to require humanitarian assistance by 2025.
General Min Aung Hlaing has announced that Myanmar is planning to conduct elections by January 2026. However, the legitimacy of these elections is contested by numerous parties, and substantial opposition to military rule persists. The junta’s actions, amid a backdrop of severe civil unrest and violence, raise significant concerns regarding the electoral process being fair and credible, casting doubt on the planned political transition in Myanmar.
Original Source: www.guampdn.com
