Myanmar’s junta or military-backed Union and Solidarity Party (USDP) dominated in the country’s recent three-phase election, according to state media. This cemented a long-expected outcome after a strictly controlled political process was held during civil war and widespread repression.
The USDP swept up votes across all phases of the election, securing an overwhelming majority in both of Myanmar’s legislative chambers. The party won 232 out of the 263 seats available in the lower Pyithu Hluttaw chamber, and as announced so far, 109 out of the 157 seats in the upper Amyotha Hluttaw chamber.
Myanmar’s parliament will convene in March to elect the next president, and the new government is expected to take over in April, as reported by the pro-military Eleven Media Group, citing Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun.
First Election In Four Years
This late January vote has marked the end of a month-long election process that began on 28th December, more than four years after the elected government under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was overturned in a military coup.
The country has been in political turmoil since the military seized control and crushed the nationwide pro-democracy rebellion. The United Nations reported that approximately 3.6 million people have since been displaced.
After decades of military rule in Myanmar, the USDP was founded in 2010, with the intention of serving as a proxy for the armed forces, also known as the Tatmadaw. The party is full of former high-ranking officers and chaired by a retired brigadier general. They contested the poll with 1,018 candidates, a fifth of the total votes.
Tattmadaw’s Dominance
The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations have refused to endorse this process, and human rights groups and some Western countries have denounced the election as a sham. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s military government maintains that the elections have been free and fair, with the support of the public.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and dozens of other political parties have been dissolved, while others have declined to participate—a fact that has garnered severe criticism from those who claim the process was designed to entrench military rule.
Under Myanmar’s political system, the military is already guaranteed 25% of parliamentary seats, which ensures continued control regardless of whether power is formally transferred to a civilian-led administration.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing defended the polls as a step towards stability and rejected criticism from opponents and foreign governments, affirming that state responsibilities would be transferred to the elected governments. He is expected to play a central role in the upcoming administration.
“Regardless of any changes among political parties or organisations in the country, Tatmadaw continues to carry out its responsibilities for national defence and security faithfully and without neglect up to the present day,” he said to state media on Monday.
Low Voter Turnout
While previous elections had seen a voter turnout of around 70%, including the 2015 vote to bring Suu Kyi to power and the ill-fated 2020 polls that were cancelled before the coup, this election only reported a turnout of 55% across all three phases.
Voting took place in 263 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, a few of which are not under complete control of the Junta. Many areas cancelled voting due to ongoing clashes between the military and armed ethnic groups, as well as local resistance forces that have emerged since the 2021 coup.
(with inputs from Reuters)
