Ankara: Myanmar's junta chief announced on Wednesday that the upcoming elections cannot be fully held across the entire country.

According to Anadolu Agency, Min Aung Hlaing declared in a speech broadcast on state media, "We can't hold the election everywhere 100%," as reported by DVB TV. This marks the first time he has publicly acknowledged that the elections would not be inclusive. The initial phase of the general election is slated for December 28, with by-elections planned for certain areas following the establishment of the new military government.

Last month, Myanmar's electoral authority stated that elections would not take place in dozens of constituencies. During a meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan on October 9, Min Aung Hlaing extended an invitation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to send observers for the elections.

The previous general elections in Myanmar occurred in November 2020, resulting in a victory for the National League of Democracy (NLD), led by jailed Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. However, her government was overthrown in a military coup in February 2021. The announcement of the upcoming polls follows the junta's establishment of a commission in July to oversee the elections, marking the end of the state of emergency rule that has persisted since the 2021 takeover.