Myanmar's military government has announced the third and final round of elections will be held on 25 January 2026, amid strong criticism that this is merely an effort to legitimize military rule once again rather than a genuine democratic process.
The election date was set as the Myanmar military pushes forward with its election plan, which has been heavily criticized by democracy watchdogs and the international community as a move to legitimize military power after the 2021 coup that plunged the country into civil war and left many areas controlled by armed rebel groups.
Democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi has remained in detention since the coup, while the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide victory in the 2020 elections, has been dissolved. The United Nations has condemned the Myanmar military government for widespread crackdowns on dissent ahead of the elections.
The Union Election Commission, appointed by the military government, stated that the third and final election round will take place in 63 towns out of 330 nationwide. The election schedule is divided into three phases: the first round is set for this coming Sunday, the second on 11 January, and the third and final round on 25 January 2026.
Myanmar has been under military rule for most of the time since independence, with a brief period of civilian government lasting about a decade, raising hopes for democratic reform.
However, those hopes ended when Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief, staged a coup after the military-backed party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2020 elections, citing widespread electoral fraud as justification.
Following the coup, security forces violently suppressed protests, driving many activists to take up arms alongside longstanding ethnic armed groups fighting the central government.
The Myanmar military government has enacted laws imposing up to 10 years in prison for those protesting or criticizing the elections. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has portrayed the election as a key step toward restoring democracy and a path to peace for opponents of military rule.
However, election observers say the process is dominated by military-aligned parties, with genuine opposition having almost no political space, rendering the election neither transparent nor credible.
. Source:channelnewsasia
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