Myanmar Holds Final Election Round with Military-Backed Party Expected to Win

Myanmar’s General Election Underway Amid Controversy

Polls have opened in Myanmar for the third and final round of a general election, with voting taking place in 60 townships across the country. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), backed by the military, is leading in the polls, securing 193 out of 209 seats in the lower house and 52 out of 78 seats in the upper house.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has announced that it will not certify the election results, citing concerns over the lack of inclusive and free participation. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, described the polls as “illegitimate” and called for their rejection.

Critics have raised concerns about the fairness and legitimacy of the polls, which took place nearly five years after the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has been dissolved, and its leader remains in detention.

The election commission reported that 17 other parties have won a small number of seats in the legislature, ranging from one to 10. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to assume the presidency when the new parliament meets.

The military has pledged that the election will return power to the people, but rights monitors have warned that the vote will only tighten the military’s grip on power. The authorities have imposed harsh penalties for public criticism of the polls, charging over 400 people recently for activities such as leafleting or online activity.

Official results are expected late this week, with the USDP potentially claiming victory as soon as Monday.

Source: Al Jazeera