Myanmar’s military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed a sweeping victory across all legislative chambers following the conclusion of the three-phase general election, state media reported Thursday. This tightly controlled electoral process began on December 28, approximately four years after the military seized power in a coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected administration.
The USDP secured 232 of the 263 seats in the lower house and 109 of the 157 announced upper house seats, according to figures released over the past two days. A spokesperson for the ruling junta, Zaw Min Tun, stated that the parliament is expected to convene in March to elect a president, with a new government slated to take office in April.
This election unfolds against a backdrop of severe political instability, as the nation remains gripped by a nationwide rebellion following the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in 2021. The United Nations reports that thousands have been killed and approximately 3.6 million people have been internally displaced across the country.
International scrutiny remains high, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) publicly stating it will not endorse the electoral process. Human rights organizations and several Western nations have also questioned the credibility, citing widespread disenfranchisement and violence during the voting period.
The UN human rights office noted that large segments of the population, including ethnic minorities like the Rohingya, were excluded due to citizenship status or displacement. Furthermore, the UN documented the killing of at least 170 civilians in air strikes during the election timeframe, alongside approximately 400 arrests.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk stated that many citizens opted not to vote due to palpable fear surrounding the process. Despite these concerns, Myanmar’s military rulers maintain that the polls were free, fair, and publicly supported.
The US Department of State indicated it is monitoring the situation and will assess the military regime’s subsequent actions. Critics argue that the process was engineered to legitimize continued military control, especially since the military automatically retains 25 percent of all parliamentary seats regardless of election outcomes.
