Yangon: Military-ruled Myanmar is preparing to conduct its first multi-phased general elections since the 2021 coup, with the initial phase set to begin on Sunday. However, experts claim that this electoral exercise is merely a facade to legitimize the junta's continued hold on power.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Tatmadaw, as the military is locally known, will conduct the elections in three phases, spanning December 28, January 11, and January 25. The Southeast Asian nation, primarily Buddhist, and home to over 54 million people, is grappling with severe internal ethnic conflicts. These conflicts have resulted in thousands of deaths and have displaced over 3.5 million individuals.
Currently, around 21.9 million people, which is approximately 40% of Myanmar's population, require humanitarian assistance, as reported by UN data. The junta, led by coup leader and acting President Min Aung Hlaing, has lost control over several strategic and trade routes. Borders with China and India are largely under the control of opposition ethnic groups, while the Rohingya community continues to face severe persecution.
The elections are set against a backdrop of ongoing internal instability, which has turned Myanmar into a hub for scam centers and opium farming. The UN's drug agency has acknowledged Myanmar's significant role as a primary source of illicit opium, with opium farming expanding by 17% this year.
The country's political landscape features a bicameral 664-seat parliament, with 25% of seats reserved for military personnel under the 2008 Constitution. The last elections in November 2020 were won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, but the government was overthrown in February 2021. Suu Kyi, now under house arrest, was charged with 'voter fraud and lawless actions.'
Despite the dissolution of 40 political parties, including the NLD, in 2023, at least six parties with 4,963 candidates are participating in the elections. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is fielding around 1,018 candidates.
Burmese politics expert Maung Zarni noted that the elections will likely lead to more conflict and instability. He criticized the elections as a flawed approach that fails to address the country's ongoing conflicts and political issues. Zarni emphasized that the military aims to maintain its control over Burmese politics, dismissing the elections as a means to genuine political reform.
Rohingya defender Ro Nay San Lwin highlighted that the junta's primary goal is to present the military government as a civilian one, aiming to re-legitimize the 2008 Constitution and ease international pressure. He further stressed that the elections will not bring any significant changes, especially for the Rohingya, who have been disenfranchised since 2015.
Zarni pointed out that the elections are not about achieving peace, democracy, or stability but rather about the junta making itself more acceptable to major Asian powers like China and India. He expressed skepticism about the elections bringing any relief to the Rohingya population, who remain excluded from the political process.
As the International Court of Justice prepares to hold public hearings on allegations of genocide against the Rohingya, the upcoming elections appear unlikely to resolve Myanmar's deep-seated conflicts. Zarni warned that the continuation of unresolved conflicts will perpetuate instability and insecurity in the nation.