-
13:30
-
13:20
-
13:00
-
12:55
-
12:50
-
12:45
-
12:30
-
12:20
-
12:00
-
11:50
-
11:30
-
11:20
-
11:00
-
10:50
-
10:30
-
10:00
-
09:50
-
09:30
-
09:20
-
09:00
-
09:00
-
08:50
-
08:30
-
08:20
-
08:00
-
07:50
-
07:30
-
07:00
-
18:45
-
18:30
-
18:00
-
17:30
-
17:00
-
16:30
-
16:00
-
15:30
-
14:00
Myanmar’s military launches elections after five years of civil war
Myanmar’s ruling military junta has launched legislative elections nearly five years after seizing power in a coup that plunged the country into a prolonged civil war. The vote, presented by the authorities as a step toward restoring democracy, has been widely condemned by the United Nations, Western governments, and human rights organizations.
Former civilian leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, while her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was dissolved following the February 2021 military takeover. Many opposition groups have been excluded from the process, and elections are not being held in large areas controlled by armed resistance movements.
The ballot is being organized in several phases over a one-month period. However, critics argue that the vote mainly serves to consolidate military rule, as the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is expected to dominate the results.
Myanmar, home to around 50 million people, has experienced decades of military influence, interrupted only by a brief democratic transition between 2011 and 2021. According to election monitoring groups, parties that previously won the vast majority of seats are now absent from the ballots. The United Nations has warned that the elections are taking place in an atmosphere marked by violence, repression, and restrictions on political freedoms.
