Polls have closed in the first phase of Myanmar’s widely condemned election, which critics say is designed to legitimise the military junta’s rule. Turnout appeared low, with many voters reluctant to participate or speak publicly about the vote.
The election, touted by the junta as a return to democracy, comes almost five years after the military seized power in a coup, ousting Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a civil war. Analysts say most candidates are military allies, and the UN has described the vote as a “theatre of the absurd” conducted amid violence and repression.
Large areas of the country are excluded from voting due to control by anti-junta groups or ongoing fighting. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a military proxy, is expected to emerge as the largest bloc. Campaigning has been muted, with the red flags of Aung San Suu Kyi’s banned National League for Democracy absent.
Western governments have condemned the election, but it has support from China, Russia, India and Vietnam, which have sent observers. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing defended the vote as “free and fair”, urging people to participate. However, many voters expressed fear and resignation. One 28-year-old man said: “We already know what will happen.”
Preliminary results are expected on Sunday. Tens of thousands have been arrested for political expression since the coup, and a new election protection law prohibits criticism, with penalties of at least three years in prison or the death penalty. A resident in Yangon said: “I fear the nation is falling deeper into darkness.”
