The USDP party, which supports Myanmar's military government, has announced winning more than half the seats in the lower house of parliament after the second phase of elections, despite the final round not yet starting. Activists and the UN have pointed out this election was staged and competitors removed to legitimize "Min Aung Hlaing" ascending to the presidency.
The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), filled with former senior military officers, claimed victory in the second phase of parliamentary elections held by the military government on Sunday (11 Jan).
USDP officials told AFP that the party won 87 out of 100 seats in the latest election round. Combined with results from the first phase, the USDP now holds at least 176 of the 330 elected seats in the lower house. This figure exceeds half the lower house, even though the third and final election round is scheduled for 25 January.
Myanmar's parliamentary structure is designed to give the military absolute control. The lower house has a total of 440 seats: 330 elected members and 110 seats, about 25%, reserved for military appointees without election.
The USDP is seen as a direct proxy of the military in politics. The new parliament is set to convene in March to select a president. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the military government leader, may step down from his military role to become civilian president.
Tom Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, stated, "The military government staged this election to ensure its representatives would win, creating a false legitimacy and maintaining military dominance."
Democracy activists say this election is unfair since Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party was dissolved, she remains detained, and the country has been in civil war since the 2021 coup.
Myanmar has been under military rule for most of its post-independence history and had only briefly experimented with democracy for about a decade before the military seized power again in 2021. This led to severe repression of dissent and widespread fighting. Analysts view this election as merely a new form of power consolidation.