Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing acknowledged on Wednesday that Naypyidaw will be unable to conduct an upcoming general election across the entire country, as a civil war triggered by a 2021 military coup rages on.
Critics and many Western nations view the regime elections, scheduled to begin on Dec. 28–the first since the 2021 coup ousted the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Aung San Suu Kyi–as a sham exercise to legitimize the military’s rule via a proxy political party called the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
Dozens of anti-regime parties are either banned or refusing to take part. The NLD was dissolved by the regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) in 2023 for failing to re-register following the coup that overturned the 2020 elections, which the NLD won in a landslide victory over the military-backed USDP.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, which triggered a nationwide uprising against the regime that has seen large swathes of territory seized by anti-regime armed groups.
The remarks by Min Aung Hlaing were his first public admission that the polls cannot be fully inclusive, days after he met Malaysia’s foreign minister and ahead of a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Oct. 26.
“We can’t hold the election everywhere 100 per cent,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech broadcast on regime media from the capital Naypyidaw, adding that by-elections would follow in some areas after a new pro-military government is formed.
The regime was able to conduct a census to generate voter lists in only 145 of the country’s total 330 townships, according to a December census report that put Myanmar’s total population at 51.3 million.
Current rules require political parties to meet a high threshold of at least 50,000 members and 100 million kyat ($47,762.33 USD) in funds, leaving only six parties eligible to contest the upcoming polls nationwide.
The regime has invited ASEAN countries to send observers for the election, due to start in December and to continue in two other phases into 2026. ASEAN is expected to discuss the request during its summit later this month.
Malaysia is the current chair of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
REUTERS
