Myanmar Votes in Second Phase Military-run Election

Voters in conflict-affected Myanmar went to polling stations on Sunday as the military authorities conducted the second phase of a nationwide election, a process that has drawn widespread criticism following weak participation in the first round.

The country has remained unstable since the armed forces removed the elected civilian administration in 2021 and arrested its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. That takeover triggered an ongoing civil war, leaving vast areas of the nation-home to more than 50 million people-caught in prolonged violence and economic hardship.

The former ruling party, the National League for Democracy, which secured a decisive victory in the 2020 general election, has been disbanded after declining to register under the new election framework. Numerous other opposition groups faced the same fate, while armed resistance organizations refused to participate altogether.

International observers, including the United Nations, along with Western governments and rights groups, have rejected the polls as illegitimate. They argue the process lacks credibility due to the absence of genuine political competition and widespread restrictions on dissent.

Results from the first phase, held on December 28, showed the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party dominating the outcome. The party secured 90 out of 102 contested seats in the lower house, despite voter participation falling to just over 52 percent—significantly lower than in elections held in 2015 and 2020.

Political analyst Richard Horsey, a senior adviser with the Crisis Group, said the results were expected given the tightly controlled environment. He noted that the elimination of meaningful challengers and the introduction of restrictive laws heavily skewed the process in favor of the ruling party.

A final phase of voting is scheduled for January 25. Overall, ballots are expected to be cast in 265 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, including regions where the military does not exercise full authority.

The ruling administration maintains that the election will restore political order and guide the country toward stability at a time when it is facing one of Asia’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. However, analysts caution that establishing a functioning government amid active fighting remains highly uncertain, and any administration formed under military oversight is unlikely to gain broad international acceptance.

The head of the military council, Min Aung Hlaing, recently avoided addressing questions about his own political future. During a visit to a township in central Myanmar, he described the election as successful and called on local officials to increase public participation.

State media quoted him as saying that strong voter engagement in the first phase demonstrated public interest in democratic participation, adding that the process should therefore be regarded as effective.