Mon Dec 29 15:27:14 UTC 2025: Summary:

Myanmar’s military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is claiming a landslide victory in the initial phase of elections organized by the ruling military junta. However, the elections have been widely condemned by international bodies and campaign groups due to a crackdown on dissent, the exclusion of opposition parties like Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), and ongoing civil war that limits voting to only a fraction of the country. Critics see the election as a means for the military to solidify its power.

News Article:

Myanmar’s Military-Backed Party Claims Victory in Contested Elections Amid Condemnation

Naypyidaw, Myanmar – The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Myanmar’s main pro-military party, is claiming a significant lead in the first round of elections organized by the country’s military rulers. A senior USDP official told AFP that the party had won 82 of 102 seats in the lower house of the legislature where counting was complete.

However, the elections have drawn sharp criticism from international bodies and human rights groups. The United Nations human rights chief has condemned the polls, citing a crackdown on dissent. Campaigners have pointed to the exclusion of major opposition parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), which was banned.

The elections were held in only about a third of Myanmar’s townships due to the ongoing civil war triggered by the 2021 military coup. Large swathes of the country remain inaccessible due to fighting between the military and pro-democracy and ethnic minority resistance forces.

Analysts widely regard the USDP as a civilian proxy for the military, and critics say the election is designed to legitimize the junta’s rule. The previous 2020 elections saw the USDP suffer a significant defeat to Suu Kyi’s NLD. Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup.

Military leader Min Aung Hlaing has stated that the armed forces can be trusted to return power to a civilian-led government after the elections. However, the ongoing conflict has resulted in an estimated 90,000 deaths, displaced millions, and left millions in need of humanitarian assistance. Thousands remain detained for political offences.

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