YANGON: Myanmar pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed a sweeping victory in the first phase of the junta-run elections, official results released Monday showed. The party won 89 of 102 lower house seats, equating to nearly 87% of the contested seats, while remaining positions went largely to small ethnic minority parties.
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The elections, conducted in phases with the final round set for January 25, are the military’s attempt to return power to a civilian government after its 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi. Western diplomats and democracy advocates have dismissed the poll as a facade, pointing to Suu Kyi’s continued detention, the dissolution of her National League for Democracy (NLD), and widespread suppression of dissent.
Under Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution, a quarter of lower house seats and key cabinet posts remain reserved for the armed forces, further consolidating military influence. Many analysts view the USDP as a proxy for the military, citing retired officers in senior positions and the party’s dependence on junta backing.
Voter turnout in the first phase reached 52%, lower than the roughly 70% seen in the 2015 and 2020 elections. Some areas remain beyond the junta’s control, with ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy rebels pledging to block the vote.
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Analysts warn that the military’s bid to install a stable administration amid ongoing conflict faces major challenges and is unlikely to gain broad international recognition, despite its planned civilian veneer.