Voters in war-torn Myanmar cast their ballots on Sunday in the second phase of a military-run election, following low turnout in the initial round. The polls have been widely criticised as a tool to formalise junta rule, with the United Nations, many Western countries and human rights groups describing them as a 'sham exercise' that is neither free, fair nor credible.
Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military ousted the civilian government in a 2021 coup and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Her National League for Democracy party, which won the last election in 2020, has been dissolved along with dozens of other anti-junta parties for failing to register for the latest polls. Rebel groups have refused to take part.
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is leading by a huge margin after winning 90 of the 102 lower house seats contested in the first phase on 28 December, which saw only 52.13% voter turnout. A final round will take place on 25 January, with voting in 265 of Myanmar's 330 townships, including areas where the junta does not have full control.
The junta has said the election will bring political stability, but analysts warn that any military-controlled government is unlikely to gain broad international recognition. At least 16,600 civilians have died in the conflict since the coup, and the UN estimates that 3.6 million people have been displaced.
