YANGON: Myanmar’s military government has released details for its planned December election, confirming the first voting phase will cover approximately one third of the nation’s townships despite ongoing nationwide conflict.
The military-led administration announced this week that polling would occur in phases beginning December 28, presenting the election as a solution to the war that has engulfed the country since the 2021 coup.
Vast areas of Myanmar remain outside military control, democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, and a United Nations expert has labelled the election a “fraud” to conceal continued military rule.
The junta has not established a complete election schedule, but a state media notice confirmed the first voting round will occur in 102 of Myanmar’s 330 townships.
These include all townships in the expansive and thinly-populated capital Naypyidaw and approximately one quarter of those in the commercial capital Yangon, which houses seven million residents.
The Global New Light of Myanmar publication indicated more restricted plans for regions where the military confronts numerous opponents vowing to disrupt the voting process.
Western Rakhine state, almost entirely controlled by local ethnic Arakan Army fighters, will conduct voting in only three of its seventeen townships during the initial polling day.
Northern Sagaing region, a pro-democracy guerrilla stronghold, will see ballots cast in about one third of its jurisdictions.
The junta has not announced dates for subsequent voting rounds nor confirmed which townships will participate in them.
Myanmar’s previous 2020 election resulted in a landslide victory for Suu Kyi’s party before the military overthrew her government with unverified voter fraud allegations.
The military has reported limited territorial advances against opponents in recent weeks as it attempts to regain ground before the election.
Concurrently, it has implemented prison sentences of up to ten years for election critics or protesters. – AFP
