A shadow hangs over Myanmar, a nation fractured by decades of conflict and now, a deeply flawed election. On December 28th, 2025, the military junta initiated its first vote since the 2021 coup, a move widely condemned as a cynical attempt to solidify power rather than reflect the will of the people.
The results, predictably, favor the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the military’s chosen vehicle. But to call this a victory feels like a distortion of reality. For eighty years, Myanmar has been embroiled in internal conflict – a testament to a population unwilling to accept rule by generals. Why would that change now?
Opposition parties were systematically barred from participating. Voting was cancelled in 65 townships, swallowed by the ongoing violence. The very framework of the election was designed to exclude, to suppress, and to deliver a predetermined outcome. Critics rightly denounce it as a sham, a desperate attempt to legitimize continued military control.
The junta claims over six million people cast ballots, boasting a 52% turnout in participating areas. Yet, these numbers ring hollow when weighed against the widespread calls for a boycott and the palpable fear gripping the nation. The USDP currently leads with 38 seats in the lower house, a figure expected to grow as the remaining phases unfold.
Khin Yi, a former general and close ally of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, secured a win in Naypyitaw, the capital built by the military itself. The USDP, according to a senior official, has already claimed 88 of the 102 contested seats, running unopposed in nearly a third of them. A chilling illustration of the lack of genuine competition.
Myanmar’s political landscape is rigged. Even if an opposition party were to somehow gain a majority, the military constitutionally guarantees itself 25% of parliamentary seats – a built-in power that renders any electoral outcome subservient to military authority. This isn’t an election; it’s a carefully orchestrated performance.
The election is being conducted in phases due to the pervasive conflict tearing the country apart. While dozens of parties nominally compete, the restrictions are suffocating. The true casualty is the democratic process itself, sacrificed on the altar of military ambition.
The roots of this crisis lie in the February 2021 coup, which ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Her National League for Democracy, having won a landslide victory in 2020, was dissolved for refusing to comply with the junta’s rules, plunging Myanmar into a nationwide civil war.
In Taunggyi, a city of 200,000 in Shan State, the divisions are stark. Sai Loung, a 65-year-old resident, describes a community fractured between supporters of the USDP and those vehemently opposed to military rule. The Pa-O National Organization militia even warned residents that abstaining from voting could have consequences.
Fear, not conviction, drove many to the polls. Reports surfaced of threats of arrest and repercussions for those who dared to boycott. A man in Taunggyi received a seven-year sentence of hard labor for a single Facebook post criticizing the junta’s election priorities – a stark warning to anyone considering dissent.
Those who support the military dutifully voted for the USDP, while opponents largely stayed away. The absence of the National League for Democracy, imprisoned and silenced, left many voters without a viable alternative. Sai Loung estimates only half of Taunggyi’s population participated, mirroring the official turnout figures.
The USDP’s advantage extends beyond mere political maneuvering. It benefits from a deeply entrenched network of personnel embedded within key government ministries – defense, internal security, finance, and more – all operating under military influence. This institutional backing provides a formidable, and unfair, advantage.
The junta replaced the independent Union Election Commission with a military-appointed body, ensuring the process would be controlled from the outset. The 2008 Constitution, a cornerstone of military power, guarantees their continued dominance, regardless of the election’s outcome.
Sai Loung believes the USDP will continue to win by a wide margin, reinforcing the perception that this election is a charade. It’s a calculated move to legitimize ongoing military control, a desperate attempt to rewrite the narrative after the perceived failure of the 2020 election.
Observers, including those from the International Crisis Group, the European Union, and the United Nations, have condemned the vote’s credibility. It’s widely described as a sham, a cynical exercise in power that ignores the suffering and aspirations of the Myanmar people.
