Myanmar Junta Plans 2nd Election Phase Amid Skepticism

Myanmar’s military rulers said Wednesday they will hold the second part of their delayed national election on January 11, 2025, even as fighting rages across the country.

The vote is being split into stages. The first round is set for December 28 in some areas, and the second will cover 100 townships, including parts of Yangon, the country’s biggest city. But the generals admit the election won’t happen everywhere—too much of the country is caught in war.

It has been nearly four years since the army seized power in a 2021 coup, overthrowing the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, armed resistance groups have taken control of large rural areas, and millions of people have fled their homes.

• Myanmar junta sets January 2025 election phase amid raging civil war
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The military has banned Suu Kyi’s party and dozens of others, leaving only junta-friendly groups on the ballot. A recent census only reached about half the country and counted 51.3 million people.

International condemnation has been swift. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dismissed the process outright, stating, "I don't think anybody believes that those elections will be free and fair." Western nations, human rights groups, and the UN have labeled it a "sham," arguing it cannot legitimize the junta amid atrocities and territorial losses to ethnic armies and People's Defense Forces.

Southeast Asian leaders meeting in Laos said they can’t stop the vote but urged the junta to make it open and fair. So far, little progress has been made on a regional peace plan.

Many fear the election will only worsen the conflict, which has already killed thousands and wrecked the economy. With so much of the country out of military control, turnout could be low even in government-held towns.

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As the fighting continues, the world is watching to see if this vote brings any real change—or just tightens the generals’ grip.