Myanmar’s Military-Run Elections Begin as Junta Claims Vote Is Free and Fair

Overview

• Polls opened in Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw as the first of three voting rounds began under junta supervision.
• Balloting uses new electronic machines that block write‑ins and spoiled ballots, with results expected by late January.
• Authorities canceled voting for 65 of 330 lower‑house seats, and no polls will be held in areas under rebel control.
• The NLD is absent after dissolution and Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained, while the pro‑military USDP fields the largest slate.
• Oversight rests with a military‑aligned election commission led by EU‑sanctioned Than Soe, with few foreign observers including a Belarus delegation, as harsh new laws have already brought more than 200 prosecutions.