Yangon: Myanmar will hold the first phase of its long-delayed general election on December 28, 2025, state television announced on Monday. The polls, expected to take place in several phases extending into January 2026, will be the country’s first since the military coup in February 2021 that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government.

The election comes as Myanmar remains mired in civil conflict, with the ruling generals seeking to cement their grip on power through a tightly controlled process. Analysts and rights groups have already dismissed the vote as a sham designed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the military regime.

Military chief and acting president Min Aung Hlaing, who chairs the newly established State Security and Peace Commission overseeing the polls, has called for heightened security in the lead-up to the vote. Security forces are being deployed to protect candidates, polling stations, and election officials, while new “people’s security” units are being formed to support military operations against resistance groups.

According to the Union Election Commission, 55 political parties have registered to participate, with only nine planning to contest nationwide. Several major opposition parties have been banned or have chosen to boycott the election. Six other parties’ applications are still under review. Observers note that new electoral laws introduced by the junta, including strict registration rules and a shift to a proportional representation system, heavily favor the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Preparations for the election have been marred by incomplete voter registration. A recent nationwide census was conducted in only 145 of Myanmar’s 330 townships due to security concerns, leaving millions of citizens unaccounted for. Critics argue this undermines the credibility of the voter lists.

International reaction has been largely skeptical. Western governments and rights organizations have condemned the election plans, citing mass repression, ongoing conflict, and the detention of more than 22,000 political prisoners, including Suu Kyi. Experts warn the polls could exacerbate violence rather than resolve the crisis.

Despite the criticism, some of Myanmar’s neighbors, including China, India, and Thailand, are expected to quietly welcome the elections as a step toward restoring some form of political order, even if legitimacy is in doubt.

The December election is likely to determine little in terms of democratic change, but it will mark a pivotal moment in Myanmar’s post-coup trajectory, with the military seeking to entrench its rule under the cover of an electoral process.