In what is generally regarded as an effort to give the junta credibility after its 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has announced that the first phase of a general election will take place in late December.
The polls will be held over three days, with the first day set for December 28, according to a statement made by state television on Monday. The following two stages are anticipated to take place in January, although no precise dates have been disclosed because of “security concerns.” Voting will take place in over 300 seats around the country, including several that are now governed by rebels.
Opponents see the forthcoming election as a “sham”
However, observers caution that the practicalities of the election could be difficult because the opposition controls a sizable portion of the nation due to an ongoing civil war.
Millions have been displaced and many have died in the war that broke out following the coup in 2021, and it doesn’t appear to be going away. Many military opponents have called the upcoming election a “sham.”
The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has been prohibited from taking part in the vote, and numerous other organizations have pledged to abstain from it completely, casting further doubt on the exercise’s legitimacy.
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