Myanmar Holds Final Election Phase, Military Grip Secured

Voting began on Sunday in Myanmar’s final phase of a three-stage general election, completing a month-long process that has effectively ensured continued military control of the national legislature.

The polls have drawn sharp criticism from opposition groups and rights advocates, who say the election is neither free nor fair and is designed to legitimise military rule following the February 2021 ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has already secured most of the contested seats, while the armed forces retain 25 percent of parliamentary seats under the constitution, guaranteeing decisive influence.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the ruling military administration, is widely expected to become president once the new parliament is formed.

Suu Kyi, now 80, is serving a 27-year prison sentence, and her National League for Democracy was dissolved in 2023. Most opposition parties boycotted the election, citing restrictive conditions and the absence of basic democratic safeguards. Public criticism of the polls has also been curtailed under a new Election Protection Law.

The election was conducted in three phases due to ongoing armed conflict across the country, with voting unable to take place in around one-fifth of all townships. Preliminary results indicate that the USDP and military-appointed lawmakers already control nearly 400 of the 586 active parliamentary seats, far exceeding the threshold required to form a government.

Final results are expected later this week, and the new government is scheduled to take office in April.