Myanmar’s military leader has announced a general election scheduled for late 2025 or early 2026, despite ongoing civil unrest and criticisms of the election’s legitimacy. The military’s announcement, made in a press conference during an official visit to Belarus, outlines participation from 53 political parties but lacks details on exact dates. Ongoing conflicts across the country raise significant challenges for the election’s execution and legitimacy due to previous delays and opposition from nonviolent movements.
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, announced that a general election will occur within 10 months, specifically targeting December 2025 or January 2026 for the voting date. This announcement was made during a press conference while visiting Belarus, a rare ally of Myanmar’s military government. It was reported that 53 political parties have applied to participate in the election, although exact dates were not provided.
The announcement occurs amidst ongoing civil conflicts where the military faces significant resistance from pro-democracy factions and ethnic militias, both demanding greater autonomy. Following the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021, public dissent has escalated, leading to armed resistance and widespread unrest across the nation. Military leaders claim that the elections are a key focus, but previous delays have raised suspicions about the genuine intent behind the electoral process.
Critics have expressed concerns that the upcoming military-organized election will lack legitimacy, citing restrictions on media freedom and the imprisonment of many leaders from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party. Notably, Suu Kyi herself is serving a cumulative sentence of 27 years due to controversial charges initiated by the military regime.
The current security landscape poses significant barriers to conducting elections, as the military controls less than half of Myanmar’s territories. The military previously indicated that elections would focus on areas under its governance. In an attempt to prepare for the election, a census was conducted in October to gather voter data, but it only succeeded in 145 out of 330 townships due to limitations in regions held by ethnic forces and pro-democracy activists.
The National Unity Government (NUG), Myanmar’s primary opposition group, has pledged to thwart the military-run election using nonviolent strategies, highlighting the ongoing conflict for democracy and autonomy in the country.
In summary, Myanmar’s military government has set plans for a general election by early 2026. This announcement occurs amid intense civil unrest and opposition to the military rule that began with the coup in February 2021. Critics anticipate that the election will lack fairness due to the suppression of free media and disqualification of political opponents, while ongoing conflicts in various regions pose challenges to the electoral process. The situation remains precarious as opposition groups prepare to contest the legitimacy of the military’s plans.
Original Source: apnews.com
