Myanmar junta prepares for elections designed to legitimise grip on power

Sunday, December 28, 2025 -Myanmar’s military junta is moving ahead with elections widely seen as an attempt to legitimize its continued grip on power rather than restore democratic rule. The vote, the first nationwide election since the 2021 coup, is being organized under tight military control, with major opposition forces excluded. 

The National League for Democracy has been dissolved, and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained, leaving junta-aligned parties with a clear advantage in a heavily restricted political landscape.

The election process is unfolding amid ongoing civil conflict and widespread repression. Large parts of the country remain inaccessible due to fighting between the military and resistance groups, making voting impossible in many areas. 

Strict laws have curtailed campaigning, criminalized dissent, and silenced independent voices, leading critics to argue that the conditions necessary for a credible and inclusive election do not exist.

For the military leadership, the polls are a strategic move to claim legitimacy at home and seek acceptance abroad, particularly from allies willing to engage with the regime. International reaction, however, remains sharply critical, with many governments and rights groups refusing to recognize the process as free or fair. 

As Myanmar faces deepening humanitarian and economic crises, the election is widely viewed as a mechanism to entrench military rule rather than a step toward stability or genuine political transition.