BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar's military-appointed election body has initiated the announcement of results from the first phase of its three-part general election, revealing that the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has secured the majority of seats, as anticipated.
Critics of the ongoing electoral process argue that the elections serve merely as a facade to legitimize the existing military regime. They contend that the polls lack fairness and freedom due to the exclusion of significant political parties and the government's repression of dissenters. Consequently, opposition groups have urged voters to boycott the elections.
The military government reported on Wednesday that over 6 million individuals, approximately 52% of the more than 11 million eligible voters, participated in the first phase of the elections held on December 28, deeming the turnout a decisive success.
In a statement published in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Saturday, the Union Election Commission (UEC) announced that the USDP had won 38 seats in the 330-seat Pyithu Hluttaw lower house. However, many results from the December 28 election remain unannounced.
A further announcement identified USDP leader Khin Yi as the winning candidate from his constituency in Naypyitaw, the capital. Khin Yi, a former general and police chief, is viewed as a close ally of the military ruler, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He garnered 49,006 out of 68,681 votes cast in his favor.
Additionally, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party and the Mon Unity Party won one seat each, according to the UEC statement.
Though the announcement on Saturday provided partial results, USDP leaders expressed confidence in their success during the initial phase of the elections.
A senior official from the USDP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed to The Associated Press that the party has claimed victory in 88 out of the total 102 contested seats in the first phase. The official revealed that the party ran unchallenged in 29 constituencies, facing no opposition.
Myanmar's national legislature consists of two houses, totaling 664 seats. The party that secures a parliamentary majority is entitled to select the new president, who can subsequently appoint a Cabinet and establish a new government. According to the constitution, the military automatically receives 25% of the seats in each legislative house.
The USDP official further claimed that the party achieved success in 85% of the contested seats in regional legislatures, though comprehensive results will only become available after the subsequent phases of the elections.
The voting process is being conducted in three phases due to ongoing armed conflicts. The first round occurred on December 28 across 102 townships, which represent nearly a third of Myanmar's total of 330 townships. The remaining electoral phases are scheduled for January 11 and January 25. Notably, 65 townships will not participate due to ongoing hostilities.
While over 4,800 candidates from 57 different parties are competing for seats in both national and regional legislatures, only six parties are vying for influence across the entire nation, with the USDP emerging as the predominant contender.
The military takeover in February 2021, which ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, thwarted the National League for Democracy (NLD) from serving a second term despite its overwhelming victory in the 2020 elections. The NLD was dissolved in 2023, along with 39 other parties, after it refused to register under the military's new electoral regulations.
The ongoing military rule has sparked widespread opposition from the populace, escalating into an active civil conflict.
