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2d ago

Myanmar Launches First Phase of Junta-Run Election With Large Areas Excluded

Critics say the tightly controlled vote lacks credibility given Suu Kyi's imprisonment, with the NLD dissolved.

A resident passes a sign promoting voter participation in downtown in Yangon, Myanmar on December 26, 2025.
People wait by the roadside for a donation of relief supplies following a strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
People are seen at a shelter in a makeshift tent camp near a railway track, following a strong earthquake in Amarapura township, Myanmar, April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
Supporters hold blue balloons as they attend an election campaign event by Thet Thet Khine, chairperson of the People's Pioneer Party (PPP), in Yangon on December 25, 2025.

Overview

  • Polls opened Sunday in 102 townships for the first of three rounds, with additional voting scheduled for January 11 and January 25.
  • Authorities plan to hold ballots in 265 of 330 townships, leaving many conflict-hit and rebel-held areas without voting.
  • Electronic voting machines are being used for the first time and do not allow write-in candidates or spoiled ballots.
  • The United Nations and Western governments condemn the process as not free or fair, ASEAN declined to send observers, and China has offered public support.
  • Campaigning has been subdued under tight security, with more than 200 people charged under new laws curbing criticism or perceived disruption, and analysts expect the military-aligned USDP to lead as officials withhold a results timeline.