By Hafizur Rahman
Naypyidaw, August 22, 2025 — Myanmar’s junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has announced that the first phase of the regime’s long-delayed elections will begin on 28 December 2025, starting in district towns and surrounding areas. The announcement came during his recent visit to Chauk and Yenangyaung in Magway Region, junta-controlled media reported.
Four-Phase Plan for the Polls
According to Min Aung Hlaing, the elections will be held in four phases, beginning at the district level before expanding nationwide. He described the polls as “crucial” for the regime, claiming state responsibilities would be handed over to whichever government emerges victorious.
The timeline revises his earlier statement in March, when he said elections would be held between late December 2025 and early January 2026. The junta’s Union Election Commission (UEC) confirmed on August 18 that the dates for subsequent phases would be announced later.
Parties Allowed and Parties Dissolved
So far, 60 political parties have registered to contest the polls, including the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). At the same time, 40 political parties have been dissolved, among them the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the 2020 elections, and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), a key Shan ethnic party. Both were banned after failing to re-register under the new junta-imposed rules.
The exclusion of these major parties has fueled criticism that the elections are designed to consolidate military rule rather than restore democratic governance.
Rejection by Resistance Groups
Myanmar’s revolutionary forces, including pro-democracy activists and ethnic resistance organizations, have widely dismissed the polls as a “sham election.” Analysts warn that instead of resolving the political crisis, the elections may further inflame conflict across the country, risking deeper instability and more bloodshed.
For Rohingya communities, the announcement brings fresh uncertainty. The junta has previously stripped Rohingyas of citizenship rights and excluded them from past elections, leaving doubts over whether they will be allowed to participate in the December vote at all.
A Vote Under Fire
Observers say the planned elections highlight the junta’s attempt to secure legitimacy while much of the country remains at war. In Rakhine, the Arakan Army (AA) controls most towns and rural areas, while in Sagaing, Kayah, and Chin states, resistance forces continue to battle military rule.
With conflict intensifying, the credibility and safety of holding elections remain in serious doubt. International rights groups have already condemned the move as political theatre staged under the shadow of violence, displacement, and ongoing humanitarian crises.
