Myanmar will hold the initial phase of its general election on December 28, state television announced on Monday, outlining a roadmap for the first polls in the conflict-ridden country in nearly five years.
The Union Election Commission said the dates for subsequent phases of the election planned to run across December and January for security reasons would be announced later, according to state broadcaster MRTV.
Myanmar has been engulfed in violence since the 2021 coup that toppled the elected civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The ruling generals, led by military chief Min Aung Hlaing, continue to face fierce resistance from armed groups.
According to state media, 55 political parties have registered for the polls, of which nine intend to contest nationwide.
“Six parties are under review for approval and registration,” the Global New Light of Myanmar reported earlier this month.
However, with anti-junta groups either barred from running or refusing to participate, Western governments have dismissed the elections as an attempt to entrench military rule. Analysts expect the polls to be dominated by military-aligned proxies.
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A newly formed interim administration has announced plans to hold voting in more than 300 constituencies, including areas controlled by armed groups opposed to the junta, according to state-run media.
Last year, military-backed authorities attempted a nationwide census to prepare voter rolls but managed on-ground surveys in only 145 of Myanmar’s 330 townships.
The military justified its February 2021 coup as a response to alleged widespread fraud in the election held three months earlier, which Suu Kyi’s now-defunct ruling party won decisively. Election monitors, however, found no evidence of fraud that could have altered the outcome.
