Myanmar’s military leader said the country will hold an election in December 2025 or January 2026, the first since the military seized power in 2021.
“We are planning to hold the election in December 2025 or … by January 2026,” General Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying in state-run Global New Light of Myanmar on Saturday.
Speaking during a state visit to Belarus, Min Aung Hlaing said the vote would be “free and fair” and that 53 political parties had submitted their lists to participate. He also invited election observers from Belarus.
Myanmar’s military took control in 2021, citing unproven claims of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. Since then, the junta has cracked down on dissent and repeatedly delayed plans for new polls as fighting continues.
Delayed elections
In 2022, the junta’s election commission dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s party for failing to re-register under a new military-drafted law.
Junta-appointed Foreign Minister Than Swe told regional delegates in December that “progress was being made” toward a 2025 election. However, in January, the military extended the state of emergency by six months, delaying the vote further.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged the junta in January to prioritize a ceasefire over elections. Min Aung Hlaing said “peace and stability” were still needed before polls could be held.
The United States has dismissed any election under the junta as a “sham,” while analysts warn it could lead to more violence.
Since the coup, more than 6,300 civilians have been killed and over 28,000 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The conflict has displaced more than 3.5 million people, and the United Nations estimates that 19.9 million — over a third of Myanmar’s population — will require humanitarian aid in 2025.