Myanmar’s First Elections Since 2021 Military Coup Witness Low Voter Engagement

Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was ousted by the military just months after her National League for Democracy secured a sweeping victory in the 2020 general elections. Currently, she remains detained, and her once-dominant political party has been disbanded.

She criticized the military’s orchestrated election, labeling it a ploy to extend the military’s grip on power. According to her, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and other military-aligned groups are expected to collaborate to establish the next government.

Voter participation in the current elections appears significantly lower compared to the high turnout witnessed in 2020, as reported by residents from various cities across Myanmar.

The elections are segmented into three parts, with subsequent voting sessions slated for the following month. Source: Getty / Lauren DeCicca

Additional voting rounds are scheduled for January 11 and January 25, covering 265 out of Myanmar’s 330 townships. However, the junta’s control over these regions remains incomplete.

Tom Andrews, the UN special envoy for human rights in Myanmar, said the election was not a pathway out of the country’s crisis and must be strongly rejected.

Zaw Min Tun, a junta spokesperson, acknowledged international critics who do not support the elections.

“However, from this election, there will be political stability,” ‍he told reporters after voting in Naypyitaw. “We believe there will be a better future.”

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