Minsk: Myanmar will hold elections this December or next January, said the country's junta leader during a two-day visit to Belarus. 'We are planning to hold elections in December 2025 or at the earliest by January 2026,' senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing announced at a joint press conference in the capital Minsk with Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus' president.

According to Anadolu Agency, Myanmar's state-run Global New Light daily reported that Min Aung Hlaing revealed that fifty-three political parties have already submitted their lists to participate in the election. He also mentioned that the state will invite observation teams from Belarus to oversee the election process.

The announcement comes as Myanmar remains under military control following the 2021 coup that ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The military junta's decision to hold elections marks a significant political development in the country.