Military-backed party set for victory as Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election concludes
Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election concludes
- Myanmar's military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is expected to form the new government following the conclusion of the general election's final phase.
- The election, conducted by the ruling military junta amidst a civil war and ethnic violence, has been widely criticised as neither free nor fair.
- Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who is anticipated to become president, defended the election as "free and fair" despite international condemnation, including from Malaysia.
- The military ensures its legislative control by reserving at least 25 per cent of seats in both houses of parliament for its members.
- This election is the first since the military's February 2021 coup, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government, leading to her imprisonment and her party's ban.