Myanmar sets December date for first phase of elections amid scepticism

Myanmar’s military authorities say the country will begin long-promised elections on December 28, with the process unfolding in “step-by-step” phases, according to the Union Election Commission.

“Further dates for the subsequent steps of the elections will be announced accordingly,” the commission said Monday.

State media reported that 55 parties have registered so far, including nine competing nationwide.

The announcement follows the administration’s decision last month to lift the state of emergency in parts of the country to prepare for polls in December and January. The government, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has been in power since removing Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected administration in 2021.

Opposition groups, including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), have vowed to boycott the vote. They argue the process is designed to reinforce the current leadership’s control rather than open genuine political space.

Myanmar remains engulfed in conflict nearly four years after the coup, with rebel forces such as the People’s Defence Force, Arakan Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army holding territory across large parts of the country.

The last elections took place in November 2020, when the NLD won by a landslide. The military later claimed widespread fraud, allegations rejected by independent observers including the Asian Network for Free Elections and the Carter Center, who said the outcome reflected the will of voters.