Myanmar's first election round under military rule has concluded amid clear signs of voter turnout far below that of 2020, with younger generations largely abstaining from voting and widespread criticism labeling the process a pointless charade.
On 29 Dec 2025 GMT+7, international news agencies reported that Myanmar’s general election, held in three phases and the first since the military coup in 2021, closed its first round of voting on Sunday, 28 Dec, with clear indications that turnout was significantly lower than in the 2020 election.
Reports indicated that at least ten individuals from various cities nationwide reported sparsely attended polling stations, contrasting with the previous election’s high turnout. Younger voters showed little interest in participating in this election, and no official date has yet been announced for the results.
This election is scheduled in three phases on 28 Dec, 11 Jan, and 25 Jan, covering 265 of the 330 townships nationwide. However, the military government does not control the entire country, as many areas remain under the control of ethnic armed groups and opposition forces.
Since the coup, Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war. Armed groups formed after the coup, alongside existing ethnic armed forces, have been fighting the military across multiple regions, causing over 3.6 million people to be displaced and creating one of Asia’s worst humanitarian crises.
Previously, the military government claimed that a phased election would help restore political stability, despite condemnation from the United Nations, Western countries, and human rights organizations, which criticized the election as neither free, fair, nor credible. Opposition parties were disqualified, and criticizing the election is illegal.
Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former civilian leader ousted after the National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in 2020, remains detained, and her party has been officially dissolved.
Analysts note that most candidates are viewed as military allies. The United Nations described the election as taking place amid violence and repression, with a UN official likening it to a meaningless theatrical performance.
Source: Irrawaddy, The Guardian