Overview
- The junta-appointed election commission scheduled a third and final voting round for Jan. 25 in 63 townships, following Dec. 28 and Jan. 11 phases.
- Balloting will proceed only in selected areas, with 202 townships covered in the first two rounds and large parts of the country excluded due to ongoing conflict.
- The UN human rights office reports intensified repression, citing dozens detained under a July 2025 election law and harsh sentences of 42 to 49 years for anti-election activities.
- Prominent cultural figures were each jailed for seven years after criticizing pro-election material, while displaced people reported threats of home seizures or airstrikes if they do not return to vote.
- Armed opposition groups have also used intimidation, including abductions of teachers and bombings of election offices, as major opposition parties remain dissolved and the military retains 25% of parliamentary seats under the 2008 constitution.