The first phase of voting for the general elections is taking place today, December 28, in India’s neighboring country Myanmar. The army is monitoring the elections being held in Myanmar amid the civil war. This election is due after 5 years of military government. The voting process began on Sunday amid tight security. But half the country will not be able to participate in this election. In such a situation, the international community and human rights organizations have raised questions on the fairness of the elections.
Nearly five years after toppling Myanmar’s elected government, the military junta is holding elections in the country. The election is the first nationwide election held by the junta since seizing power in February 2021. This coup led to massive protests in the country and started a civil war, which is still ongoing. The army has claimed that this election will pave the way for the return of democracy. However, opposition groups and human rights organizations have rejected the vote as a move to legitimize the junta’s continued rule.
The elections are being held at a time when Myanmar’s most popular political leader, whose government was toppled by the military in February 2021, is still in jail. His party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been dissolved, effectively excluding him from the political process. Hundreds of people have been arrested under a new law that criminalizes criticism of the election or attempts to disrupt the process. According to the media, the electoral environment was heavily tilted in favor of the military junta, with parties associated with or supported by the junta dominating the ballot.
Voting for the first phase has started in some parts of the country on Sunday. The elections are being held in three phases, in which voting will be held for the second phase on January 11 and for the third phase on January 25. Officials have not announced on what date the election results will be released. Due to civil war, a large part of Myanmar will not be able to participate in the elections. Major political parties are banned, many leaders are in jail and voting is not possible in large parts of the country due to civil war.
Half the country will not be able to participate in the elections
The military regime has decided to conduct the elections in a phased manner. But voting will take place in only 274 townships out of 330. Many areas have been kept out of the elections on the grounds that they are unstable. Continued clashes between junta forces and ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy militias have made voting impossible in many areas, especially along the border and in parts of central Myanmar, CNN reports.