BANGKOK (AP) – Myanmar's military-appointed election commission announced on Monday that elections will be held starting December 28. Critics have condemned the upcoming polls as a facade to legitimize the military's 2021 coup, amid ongoing armed conflict across much of the country.
The Union Election Commission released a statement informing that the elections will take place in phases over several days, with a complete schedule to be determined and published later. In a separate announcement, published in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper, it was confirmed that all 330 townships in Myanmar have been designated as constituencies for the election.
Approximately 60 political parties, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, have registered to participate in the elections, according to the commission's official website. However, the feasibility of conducting polling in areas controlled by pro-democracy resistance forces or ethnic minority rebels remains uncertain, especially given the ongoing civil war that has engulfed a significant portion of the country.
Several opposition organizations, including armed resistance groups, have declared their intention to disrupt the election process. Last month, the military government enacted a controversial electoral law imposing severe penalties, including the death penalty, for those who oppose or interfere with the elections. Critics claim that the upcoming military-led election will not be free or fair due to the absence of independent media and the arrest of most leaders from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, which was dissolved following the military coup.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party enjoyed a landslide victory in the 2020 general election; however, the military seized power mere days before the government was set to begin its second five-year term in February 2021. Suu Kyi, now 80 years old, has been sentenced to a total of 27 years in prison after being convicted in a series of politically motivated trials orchestrated by the military regime.
The military justified its take over by alleging widespread fraud during the 2020 elections, although independent observers did not find substantial evidence to support these claims. The army's seizure of power was met with national resistance, leading to armed conflict and widespread unrest. While the military has proposed elections as a means to restore order, they have continually postponed the date.
The country’s ongoing security crisis presents significant challenges to the electoral process, with the military reportedly exerting control over less than half of Myanmar’s territory. Previously, the military government indicated that elections would proceed only in regions under its authority.
In the lead-up to the elections, the military has escalated its operations, including both ground attacks and airstrikes, in an attempt to reclaim territories controlled by opposition forces. Recent reports have highlighted a disturbing trend of increasing airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties. For instance, on Sunday, independent media sources reported that at least 24 individuals were killed and several injured when the military bombed a hospital in Mawchi, located in Kayah state (also known as Karenni). This area is noted for its wolfram and tungsten mining activities.
Furthermore, in a separate incident last Thursday, at least 21 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed due to an airstrike on the town of Mogok, which is central to Myanmar’s lucrative gem-mining industry. The military has not verified these incidents, routinely asserting that it targets only legitimate military objectives while labeling resistance forces as terrorists.
