Overview
- Polling opened at 6 a.m. Sunday in 100 townships, including parts of Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, Bago and Tanintharyi regions as well as Mon, Shan, Kachin, Kayah and Kayin states.
- The military-backed USDP holds a commanding lead after the Dec. 28 phase, winning nearly 90% of contested lower-house seats, with official turnout reported at about 52%.
- Roughly 65 townships are excluded from the election because of fighting, and a third round of voting is scheduled for January 25.
- New election laws criminalize most public criticism of the polls, with more than 330 people charged and over 22,000 detained for political offenses, according to rights groups.
- Under the constitution the military retains 25% of parliamentary seats, while UN officials and many governments reject the vote’s legitimacy even as a few states engaged with the process.