Read on France 24Myanmar's Junta Stages First Election Since Coup Amid Civil War and Condemnation
Myanmar's military junta is conducting its first heavily restricted election since seizing power in a 2021 coup. The vote, condemned by Western diplomats, the UN, and rights groups, is taking place amid a brutal civil war, with no voting in rebel-controlled territories. The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party is expected to dominate, in what critics call a rebranding of martial rule, while former leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned and her party dissolved.
On Sunday, December 27, 2025, a trickle of voters headed to the polls in Myanmar for the first round of a phased, month-long election organized by the ruling military junta. This marks the first electoral exercise since the military, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, seized power in a February 2021 coup, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The vote has been universally condemned by international observers, Western diplomats, and the United Nations as a heavily restricted process designed to legitimize military rule rather than reflect the will of Myanmar's people. The election unfolds against the backdrop of a devastating civil war that has fractured the Southeast Asian nation of around 50 million, with residents in vast rebel-controlled territories unable to cast ballots.
The Structure and Context of the Election
The election is being conducted in three rounds over a month, with the second and final rounds scheduled for mid-January 2025. The military has conceded that voting cannot occur in almost one in five constituencies for the lower house of parliament, primarily in areas held by ethnic rebel armies and pro-democracy People's Defense Forces. This exclusion fundamentally undermines the inclusivity of the process. The political landscape has been radically reshaped since the coup: Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide in the 2020 elections, has been dissolved, as have most other parties from that vote. According to the Asian Network for Free Elections, 90% of the seats won in 2020 went to organizations not participating in the current election.
International Condemnation and Domestic Repression
The international community has rejected the election's legitimacy. The United Nations in Myanmar released a statement as balloting began, emphasizing the need for "free, fair, inclusive and credible" elections that reflect the people's will. UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the exercise, stating it was "clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression." Domestically, the junta has enforced draconian measures to stifle dissent. It is prosecuting over 200 people under legislation that forbids any action deemed to "disrupt" the poll, including protest or criticism. The run-up to the vote saw none of the massive public rallies that characterized previous elections, replaced instead by a climate of fear and a withering military offensive to reclaim territory from rebels.
Expected Outcome and Military Strategy
The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is widely expected to emerge as the largest bloc. Critics argue this outcome would simply rebrand direct military rule with a veneer of electoral legitimacy. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, after casting his ballot in the capital Naypyidaw, asserted, "We guarantee it to be a free and fair election... It's organized by the military, we can't let our name be tarnished." The military has introduced new electronic voting machines that do not allow for write-in candidates or spoiled ballots, further controlling the outcome. For many citizens, particularly those displaced by conflict, there is little hope the election will bring change. A 23-year-old displaced in Shan state told AFP, "I think the airstrikes and atrocities on our hometowns will continue even after the election."
A Nation Divided by War
The election cannot be separated from the civil war that has engulfed Myanmar since the coup. The military's violent crackdown on peaceful protests pushed thousands of activists to take up arms, joining longstanding ethnic minority armies in a nationwide rebellion. This conflict has rendered large parts of the country ungovernable by the junta and inaccessible to its electoral commission. The fundamental disconnect between the junta's staged political process and the reality on the ground highlights the deep crisis of legitimacy facing the regime. The future of Myanmar remains uncertain, with the path to genuine democracy blocked by violence and repression.
