Overview
- The first round took place on December 28 in 102 of 330 municipalities, with additional voting set for January 11 and January 25 before final results are announced.
- Key pro-democracy actors are excluded as Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned and the NLD was dissolved in 2023 under new military rules.
- United Nations officials and Western governments dismiss the process as illegitimate, and a new electoral law penalizes most public criticism of the vote.
- Turnout appeared light in major cities, with accounts of voter pressure by soldiers and many conflict-affected areas left out because the military lacks control.
- The military-backed USDP is widely seen as the likely beneficiary under these constraints while civil war and a deep humanitarian crisis limit participation.