Myanmar to Publish Election Results by End of January, Junta Say

[geovalin]

 

Myanmar’s military-backed election commission has announced that results from the country’s upcoming national vote will be released by the end of January 2026. The election, scheduled to begin on 28 December, will be held in three phases, spaced two weeks apart, according to officials speaking at a press conference in Naypyidaw.

 

This will be Myanmar’s first national vote since the 2021 military coup that ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered widespread civil unrest. Military chief Min Aung Hlaing remains in power as interim president, overseeing a country fractured by armed resistance and ethnic militias.

 

A total of 57 political parties are expected to contest seats—six at the national level and 51 in regional assemblies. However, the vote will not be nationwide in practice. Election council member Khin Maung Oo acknowledged that 63 areas face “security risks,” with large swathes of territory controlled by pro-democracy fighters and ethnic armed groups who have vowed to block polling in their regions.

 

The junta has portrayed the election as a step toward peace, but critics argue it is a façade designed to legitimise continued military rule. International observers have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and the exclusion of major opposition figures, including Suu Kyi, who remains imprisoned.

 

Adding to the controversy, Myanmar’s government has criminalised criticism of the election. State media reported this week that a man in Shan State was sentenced to seven years of hard labour for a Facebook post that criticised the junta’s priorities. The post included footage of a robbery and questioned why public safety was being neglected in favour of election preparations.

 

The conviction is the first under a new law passed in July, which penalises any speech or action deemed disruptive to the election process. As the vote approaches, concerns are mounting that the electoral process will be tightly controlled, with limited participation and little room for dissent.

 

 

-2025-09-12