By Admin 
General elections were held in Myanmar for the first time since the 2021 military coup, but the election was held under heavy restrictions, limited areas and the shadow of the ongoing civil war. The elections have taken place at a time when the country’s Nobel Prize-winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi is also in custody and her party National League for Democracy (NLD) has been dissolved. These elections could be conducted only in about one-third of the total 330 townships of the South-East Asian country. Voting was not possible in large parts due to widespread violence and armed conflict.
Polling stations in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, opened at 6 am on Sunday (28 December 2025) and closed at 4 pm. However, the situation was not normal across the country. During this period, elections were completely canceled in 65 townships. Voting in the remaining areas was divided into three phases. The next voting in Myanmar will be held on January 11 and January 25. However, the dates of counting and results have not been announced yet. According to Al Jazeera’s report, ‘At least 20 percent of the population has been deprived of voting rights in this election. The biggest question is what was the voting percentage in the cities.
Fear of very low turnout
Election officials were told that only one-third of the registered voters cast their vote. According to reports, turnout was very low due to fear, dissatisfaction and distrust among the people towards military rule. The biggest feature of this election was that anti-army parties were not allowed to participate in the elections. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party NLD has been dissolved and she herself is still in jail. In such a situation, there is every possibility of the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) emerging as the largest party.
military chief’s vote
Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing cast his vote in the capital Naypyidaw. After the common citizens cast their vote, they also got their photographs clicked showing their inked finger. He claimed that the election was free and fair. There is nothing wrong in holding elections under military rule. This process is a political and economic new beginning for the country.
Sharp criticism of the United Nations and Western countries
Many western countries and human rights organizations including the United Nations have termed this election as a drama. UN Special Envoy Tom Andrews said, ‘An election conducted by a government that bombs civilians, jails political leaders and criminalizes every dissent is not an election, but a farce conducted at gunpoint. He clearly refused to accept this as a way out of Myanmar’s crisis.
terrible state of civil war
The civil war that started after the 2021 military coup has plunged Myanmar into a serious humanitarian crisis. During this period, about 90,000 people died. More than 35 lakh people were displaced. 2.2 crore people became dependent on humanitarian aid. According to AAPP, more than 22,000 prisoners were taken. Fierce fighting is still going on between the army and rebel groups in many areas.
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