On Monday, Myanmar’s junta announced that elections will commence on December 28, despite the ongoing civil war that has placed much of the nation outside their control. International observers have criticized the election as a sham.
Since the military ousted democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, citing unproven claims of electoral fraud, Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict.
Large regions are beyond military reach, governed by various pro-democracy guerrillas and influential ethnic armed groups who have vowed to prevent elections in their areas.
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The Union Election Commission of Myanmar stated, “The initial phase of the multi-party democratic general election for each parliament will start on Sunday, December 28, 2025.”
“Dates for subsequent phases will be announced later,” the statement continued.
The civil war in Myanmar has resulted in thousands of deaths, plunged over half the nation into poverty, and displaced more than 3.5 million people.
The junta has promoted elections as a solution to the conflict, offering cash incentives to opposition fighters willing to surrender before the vote.
However, Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, and many opposition lawmakers removed by the coup are boycotting the election. A UN expert has called the vote a “fraud” intended to disguise ongoing military rule.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing currently governs Myanmar as acting president and serves as the military chief, a role that has dominated the country for most of its post-independence era.
Experts suggest that the election may allow Min Aung Hlaing to retain control over any new government formed.
Meanwhile, they note that the vote could further divide an already fragmented opposition as they consider whether to participate.
A census conducted last year in preparation for the election revealed that data was not collected from 19 million of Myanmar’s 51 million people, according to provisional results.
The results pointed to “significant security constraints” as a reason for the shortfall, indicating the limited extent of the election amidst the civil war.
