Overview
- The USDP said it won 82 of 102 constituencies tallied so far in the opening phase, including all eight seats in the capital Naypyidaw.
- Voting occurred largely where the military retains control, with many areas under rebel influence unable to hold polls and turnout reported as low in several locations.
- Major opposition parties were dissolved or excluded, Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, and new rules and electronic processing drew allegations of coercion and manipulation.
- UN figures called the vote a sham, while China and Russia supported the process; the next rounds are set for January 11 and 25 with final results expected at the end of January.
- The contest unfolded against ongoing conflict marked by thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of detentions, and millions displaced, with local reports of small explosions near some polling sites.