Myanmar junta says elections will be held in phases due to security concerns

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing announced on Thursday that the elections the military is planning for later this year will be conducted in phases, citing ongoing instability and conflict across the country. Speaking at a National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) meeting held in Naypyitaw on July 31, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the regime would not hold a nationwide vote all at once, but would instead organise the election region by region based on local security conditions. “In light of the current security situation, we will hold the election by parts, depending on the situation and administrative capacity. Each stage will be separated by at least a week,” he said, according to reports published by junta-controlled media today. He added that this approach echoes procedures used in the country’s first general election in 1951, which was also conducted in phases over several months. The junta chief claimed that steps were being taken to ensure the election would be transparent and inclusive, including the invitation of international observers. At a meeting with Min Aung Hlaing in June, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko alluded to his country’s commitment to send election monitors to Myanmar in 2025.“It is important to ensure accurate voter rolls and that all eligible voters can cast their ballots freely. To that end, we have invited international representatives to observe the process,” the junta chief said. On Thursday, the military officially dissolved the State Administration Council (SAC)—the ruling body established after the February 2021 coup—and transferred authority back to the NDSC. However, the de facto structure of the regime remains largely unchanged. As part of the dissolution, Min Aung Hlaing formally relinquished his self-styled title of “prime minister”, which he assumed when the Myanmar military seized power in a 2021 coup. He appointed his close ally General Nyo Saw, the chair of the military-owned conglomerate Myanma Economic Corporation, to the premiership. Nyo Saw will serve in civilian attire but remains under military command. The new National Security and Peace Commission, as the military has dubbed the regime replacing the SAC, is composed primarily of senior generals. Min Aung Hlaing serves as its chair, holding the roles of interim president, military commander-in-chief, and head of the commission. Vice Senior General Soe Win has been named vice chair. Min Aung Hlaing said 55 political parties are expected to participate in the elections. Of these, nine parties will field candidates nationwide, while the remaining 46 will contest seats only in regional or state-level constituencies. He urged parties to prepare for the campaign and said the official election date would be announced soon. “As a multi-party democracy, political parties must have the freedom to campaign in accordance with the law to ensure a disciplined, genuine democratic system,” he said. Two years after seizing power, the SAC introduced new party registration requirements in 2023, which various long-established parties failed to meet and were dissolved as a result, rendering them ineligible to field candidates or campaign. One of the disbanded parties was the National League for Democracy, which led the civilian government ousted by the military’s takeover in 2021. Analysts argued that the military regime had changed the rules expressly for that purpose. A national census conducted on October 1, 2024, recorded Myanmar’s population at 54.7 million, including over 3.4 million people working overseas. The regime has yet to release a list of eligible voters. While the junta has promised elections by the end of 2025, doubts remain.According to state-run newspapers published today, a state of emergency and martial law has been declared in 63 townships across Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, and multiple ethnic states. These areas have witnessed intensified military operations, including airstrikes and ground assaults. It is assumed that elections will not be held in these towns. The National Unity Government (NUG), the anti-junta cabinet of elected officials formed and endorsed by members of parliament ousted in the 2021 coup, warned civilians in those areas to remain alert and take precautions for their security, noting that military control in those townships allows the regime to escalate its attacks with impunity.

Myanmar junta says elections will be held in phases due to security concerns

Myanmar’s military chief has promised elections by the end of 2025, but with 63 townships under martial law and clashes intensifying, the regime now says voting will be held in phases

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