Voting concluded Sunday in Myanmar’s final stage of a three-part general election, a process that has already ensured the military and its allies will dominate Parliament and form the next government. Critics have called the election neither free nor fair, arguing it is designed to cement military rule following the 2021 ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has already secured most seats in the first two rounds. With 25% of parliamentary seats reserved for the military, the armed forces are guaranteed a majority alongside the USDP. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who currently leads Myanmar’s military government, is widely expected to become president when the new legislature convenes.
Election critics highlight restrictions on public dissent and opposition participation. Voting did not occur in more than one-fifth of Myanmar’s 330 townships, particularly areas affected by ongoing clashes. These gaps, along with armed attacks on polling stations and administrative offices during earlier rounds, have drawn claims that the election is a sham.
Regional observers reflect the political divide. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced it would not certify the election due to the lack of inclusive participation. Observers have instead come from countries including Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and Cambodia, alongside India and Japan.
Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, and her party, the National League for Democracy, are excluded. She is serving a 27-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges. Her party dissolved in 2023 after refusing to register under new military rules, while other opposition parties either declined to participate or called for boycotts.
A new Election Protection Law has imposed strict penalties for criticism of the polls, with over 400 people recently charged for distributing leaflets or online activity. Violence disrupted the first two voting rounds on Dec. 28 and Jan. 11, resulting in deaths and halting voting in many conflict zones.
Sunday’s final vote took place in 61 townships across six regions and three states, including areas recently affected by clashes. Results for the entire Parliament are expected later this week, with the legislature scheduled to convene in March and the new government to take office in April.
Figures released after the first two rounds show the USDP has won 233 seats, while the military controls 166, giving the two a combined majority of nearly 400 seats—well above the 294 needed to form a government. Seventeen smaller parties hold the remaining seats, usually between one and ten.
Overall, more than 4,800 candidates from 57 political parties competed, though only six contested nationwide. Myanmar’s Union Election Commission reported over 24 million eligible voters, about 35% fewer than in 2020. Turnout in the first two rounds ranged from 50% to 60%.
Despite voter restrictions, boycotts, and ongoing armed conflict, Myanmar’s military and its allies are set to maintain full control over the national government, raising continued concerns about the legitimacy of the country’s electoral process.
