As Myanmar stands just a few hours away from its heavily restricted polls, the junta termed the elections as a return to democracy after five years since it ousted the last elected government, that had made way to a civil war.
In junta-controlled territory, that include cities of Yangon, Mandalay and the capital Naypyidaw, the first of three rounds start at 6 am (Myanmar standard time).
The nation of around 50 million, harrowed by a civil war, will only see voting in specific territories with no elections conducted in rebel-held areas, news agency AFP reported.
Since 2021, former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains in custody, for offences ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 restrictions. It was the same year that her party was dissolved after soldiers ended a decade-long democratic experiment in February. Apart from that, most parties from the 2020 vote, have since been dissolved.
The pre-elections have seen several public rallies that Suu Kyi once led and the junta who waged a withering pre-vote offensive to claw back territory.
Election trends
Union Solidarity and Development Party, which is in favour of the military rule is expected to emerge as a singlehanded winner, in what critics say would be a rebranding of martial rule.
People who lack homes, and other basic amenities, who are widely affected from Junta air strikes argued that the upcoming elections will be ‘impossible to be free and fair’.
UN’s rights chief and other western diplomats have condemned the phased month-long vote as they cited a ballot stacked with military allies and a stark crackdown on dissent, the report read.
The armed forces ruled Myanmar for most of its post-independence history before a 10-year break saw a civilian government take the reins of the nation.
Speaking of these elections, UN rights chief Volker Turk earlier said that the polls are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression.
An officer in the People’s Defence Force in the northern region of Sagaing, Zaw Tun said that although there are many ways to ensure peace in the country, Junta has chosen to have an election of everything.
“There are many ways to make peace in the country, but they haven’t chosen those — they’ve chosen to have an election instead,” Tun said adding that they would continue to fight.
The second round of polling will take place in two weeks’ time before the third and final round on January 25, but the junta has conceded elections cannot happen in almost one in five lower house constituencies, the report stated.