Overview
- Polling began Dec. 28 in the first of three rounds, limited to 102 of 330 townships, with electronic machines that block write-ins and spoiled ballots.
- Early turnout appeared tepid in Yangon and Mandalay under heavy security, with residents reporting fear and some coercion claims that authorities deny.
- Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned and the National League for Democracy has been dissolved, leaving a ballot dominated by parties aligned with the military.
- U.N. rights chief Volker Türk says the vote occurs in a climate of violence and repression, while Western governments reject its credibility and China and Russia show greater receptivity.
- Preliminary tallies from the first phase may be released Sunday, with further voting set for Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, large rebel-held areas excluded, and the USDP widely expected to lead where polls are held.