Myanmar's military-appointed election body has begun announcing the winners of the first phase of its three-part general election, saying that the military-backed party has won the majority of seats, as widely expected.
Critics of the current system say that the election is designed to add a facade of legitimacy to the status quo. They charge the polls are neither free nor fair because of the exclusion of major parties and government repression of dissenters. Opposition groups have called for a boycott by voters.
Editorial | Sham election: On Myanmar’s three-phase elections
The military government said on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) that more than six million people — about 52% of the more than 11 million eligible voters in the first phase of elections held on December 28, 2025 — cast ballots, calling the turnout a decisive success.
The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Saturday (January 3, 2025) that the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won 38 seats in the 330-seat Pyithu Hluttaw lower house, though many seats from the election held on December 28, 2025 are yet to be declared.
