Myanmar goes to the polls amid civil war, Aung San Suu Kyi's party not taking part

Voters in Myanmar cast their ballots this morning on Dec. 28, the first time since the military coup in 2021 that sparked a civil war across the country.

National League of Democracy Party not running in latest election

Former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed, and her hugely popular National League for Democracy party, which won by a landslide in the last election in 2020, are not taking part, reported AFP. The party was dissolved in 2023 after refusing to register under the new military rules.

Other parties also refused to register or declined to run under the conditions set by the junta, deeming them unfair. Opposition groups have called for a voter boycott.

The junta, which has ruled Myanmar since 2021, says the vote is a chance for a fresh start politically and economically, but has been criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups, calling the election an exercise that is not free, fair or credible, with anti-military political parties not competing, according to Reuters.

The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party is touted to win the most seats.

664 seats are available in Myanmar's bicameral parliament, with 440 in the lower house and 224 in the upper house. 25 per cent of seats in both chambers are automatically allocated to the military, a quota set out in the 2008 constitution, leaving 330 seats in the lower house for contesting.

Restricted election held in three phases

As Myanmar's civil war continues, the junta has lost parts of the country to rebel forces, consisting of a mix of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armies that have long resisted central rule.

The election will not take place in these rebel-held areas, resulting in 65 of the 330 elected seats of the lower house being cancelled, nearly 20 per cent of the total.

Additionally, over one million stateless Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown in 2017 and now live in exile in Bangladesh will not get to vote either.

More than 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are competing for seats in national and regional legislatures, but only six of these parties have qualified to contest seats in parliament.

Voting will take place in three phases, with today's first round being held in 102 of 330 townships in Myanmar. The second phase will take place on Jan. 11, and the last on Jan. 25.

The final results are expected to be announced in late January.

Cover image via Reuters