BANGKOK — Myanmar’s military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has asserted a substantial victory in the initial phase of the country’s first general election since the 2021 military takeover, despite the absence of official confirmation from state election authorities.
The controversial electoral process, conducted amid ongoing civil conflict, commenced on Sunday across 102 of Myanmar’s 330 townships. The remaining voting phases are scheduled for January 11 and January 25, with 65 townships excluded entirely due to security concerns.
A senior USDP official, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, claimed the party secured 88 of 102 contested lower house seats and approximately 85% of regional legislature positions in this initial round. The official further noted the party’s sweep of all constituencies in the capital Naypyitaw, a military and government stronghold.
Myanmar’s political structure allocates 25% of parliamentary seats to the military automatically under the constitution, with the remaining 664 seats distributed through election. The party achieving a combined parliamentary majority holds the authority to select the president and form the new government.
The election occurs against a backdrop of significant controversy. Human rights organizations and opposition groups have denounced the process as neither free nor fair, asserting that power will inevitably remain with military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The 2021 coup ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party was dissolved in 2023 after refusing to register under new military regulations.
Voter eligibility has dropped approximately 35% since the 2020 election, with officials citing armed conflict and displacement as primary factors. Opposition groups have called for an electoral boycott, while state media reported attacks on polling stations in 11 townships during the voting period, resulting in several casualties.
Final results are anticipated by late January, though it remains uncertain whether interim aggregate figures will be released publicly.