Myanmar's military regime has declared its proxy party victorious in the first stage of a three-part general election, an outcome widely dismissed as a sham designed to cement its illegitimate rule. The polls, held on 28 December, were marked by a significant drop in voter participation and a widespread opposition boycott.
Junta's Hollow Victory Amid Plummeting Turnout
The military-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on Saturday that the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won 38 seats in the 330-seat Pyithu Hluttaw lower house. A senior USDP official, speaking anonymously, claimed the party had secured 88 of the 102 contested seats in this initial phase, running unopposed in 29 constituencies.
Despite the junta hailing the participation of over 6 million people as a decisive success, this figure reveals a stark reality. At approximately 52% of eligible voters, it represents a dramatic fall from the roughly 70% turnout seen in the 2015 and 2020 general elections, according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
A Facade of Legitimacy and Systematic Repression
Critics and opposition groups have universally condemned the process, arguing it is a calculated attempt to create a veneer of democratic legitimacy for the military regime. The election is neither free nor fair, with major political parties excluded and dissent systematically repressed.
The military, which seized power in a February 2021 coup, blocked Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) from serving a second term after its landslide 2020 win. The NLD was dissolved in 2023 after refusing to register under the junta's new rules.
USDP leader Khin Yi, a former general and police chief allied with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, was declared the winning representative from Naypyitaw, securing 49,006 votes in his constituency.
Staged Election Amid Ongoing Civil War
The voting is being conducted in three phases due to widespread armed conflict, with the first round held in 102 townships. Subsequent phases are scheduled for 11 January and 25 January, though 65 townships will not participate at all due to fighting.
While over 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are competing, only six have a nationwide presence. The USDP remains the strongest contender, especially as the military is constitutionally guaranteed 25% of seats in each house of the 664-seat national legislature.
The USDP official also claimed the party won 85% of contested regional legislature seats, though full results await the later phases. The takeover in 2021 triggered massive popular resistance that has since escalated into a full-scale civil war, casting a long shadow over the junta's orchestrated electoral process.
