Junta-Backed Party Clinches Myanmar Vote as Min Aung Hlaing Eyes Presidency
Union Solidarity and Development Party leads after final voting in 60 townships; election commission shows USDP has won 193 lower-house seats so far.
Overview
Election commission data show the Union Solidarity and Development Party has won 193 of 209 lower-house seats after voting in the final phase began in 60 townships at 6 a.m. local time Sunday.
The military's constitutionally reserved 166 seats combined with USDP wins give the military-backed bloc just under 400 seats, surpassing the 294 needed to select the president, according to election commission data.
U.N. special rapporteur Tom Andrews called the vote "fraudulent" and urged rejection, and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told Parliament that ASEAN did not send observers and will not certify the election.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports at least 7,705 killed and 22,745 detained since 2021, while the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project estimates more than 90,000 killed, figures that vary widely.
The military government announced Parliament will convene in March and the new government will assume duties in April, and officials said official results are expected later this week.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Myanmar’s election as effectively predetermined and legitimacy-deficient by emphasizing military guarantees of power, reporting restrictions, and opposition arrests. They use evaluative terms (e.g., “neither free nor fair”), prioritize context about reserved seats, boycotts, and civil conflict, and juxtapose limited junta statements against broad critical evidence.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The USDP is a military-backed proxy party led by former generals, which won elections in 2010 under previous junta rule but was defeated by the NLD in 2015 and 2020.
The NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, refused to register under new military laws and was declared dissolved by the Union Election Commission in March 2023, along with 38 other parties.
The USDP has won 193 of 209 lower-house seats (92%) and 52 of 78 upper-house seats (67%) from the first two phases; the military holds 166 constitutionally reserved seats, giving the bloc nearly 400 seats, exceeding the 294 needed to select the president.
Voter turnout in the first two rounds was 52.13% and 55.95%, lower than the about 70% in the 2015 and 2020 elections; eligible voters number over 24 million, 35% fewer than in 2020.
The UN special rapporteur called it fraudulent and urged rejection; ASEAN did not send observers and will not certify results; observers came from Russia, China, and others but not from ASEAN.
History
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