Bangkok – Myanmar will hold legislative elections by January of next year, the head of the army in power has declared, without fixing a date for a vote that the generals who seized power in 2021 hope will end a generalized opposition to their grip on politics.
The opponents of the junta say a vote under the army while the most popular politicians are locked up and their prohibited parties will be a sham. The junta controls only half The country after significant losses against pro-democracy and minority ethnic insurgents that are fighting to end the military regime.
Friday, General Aung Hlaing announced the election calendar during a visit to Belarus New world myanmar light Reported on the newspaper.
“The election is scheduled for December 2025, with the possibility of … January 2026,” said the newspaper, cited Min Aung Hlaing.
There was no immediate commentary on the forces opposed to the military regime, but a parallel civil government in exile, the government of national unity, previously rejected the junta plan for an election as a glass meat to strengthen the legitimacy of the military in the country and abroad.
The groups of ethnic ethnic ethnic insurgents that fight for self -determination have also rejected an election under the military regime.
The winner of the Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, by far the most popular political leader in Myanmar, was imprisoned since the army oust his government elected on February 1, 2021.
The National Party of the National League of Democracy of Suu Kyi, which swept the elections in 2015 and 2020, was dissolved under military regulations and thousands of its members and supporters are in prison or fled in rebel areas or self -exile.
China, which has major investments in Myanmar and wishes to see the end of its disorders, supports the vote and has offered help to organize it, just like some of the neighbors of Asia in Myanmar.
Min Aung Hlaing, in a speech in Bélarus, said that 53 political parties had submitted documents to participate in the elections.
“We also invite the observation teams of the Bélarus to come and observe,” he said.
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The vote should take place in less than half of the 330 cantons of Myanmar in the first phase of a staggered vote, said a political party official at the end of last year after a discussion with the electoral organizers.
In the last Myanmar elections in 2020, the vote took place in 315 of the 330 cantons.
After Suu Kyi’s party swept away the vote, as in a 2015 election, the army complained of cheating and overthrew its government. She has been imprisoned for 27 years.
The electoral organizers said at the time that there was no evidence of significant cheating.
Min Aung Hlaing was at Bélarus after a visit to Russia Where he had interviews with President Vladimir Putin.
Edited by Mike Firn