In Myanmar's war-torn landscape, a second phase of military-run elections has descended upon the nation, sparking widespread criticism and skepticism. The junta, which seized power in 2021, has long been accused of orchestrating a sham exercise designed to consolidate its grip on power.
The 2020 election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party dominated the polls, is now a distant memory. Suu Kyi herself has been detained, along with dozens of other opposition leaders, and her party has been dissolved under dubious circumstances. Rebel groups have refused to participate in this second round of elections.
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is heavily favored to win the election, despite low voter turnout in the first phase, which saw only 52.13% participation. Critics argue that the playing field was unfairly tilted in favor of the junta, with laws designed to suppress opposition voices.
According to analysts, including Richard Horsey of Crisis Group, the USDP is on track for a landslide victory, one that will hardly be a surprise given the significant advantages it has enjoyed. The international community remains deeply divided over the legitimacy of these elections, with many Western countries and human rights groups labeling them a farce.
The junta claims that the election will bring stability and a brighter future to Myanmar, but this assessment is widely disputed. The country is grappling with one of Asia's worst humanitarian crises, with at least 16,600 civilians killed and 3.6 million displaced since the coup. Any military-controlled government would likely face significant international skepticism.
Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief, sidestepped questions about his own ambitions during a recent visit to central Myanmar, instead hailing the election as a success and urging authorities to boost turnout further. His assertion that the election can be considered successful is met with widespread incredulity.
The 2020 election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party dominated the polls, is now a distant memory. Suu Kyi herself has been detained, along with dozens of other opposition leaders, and her party has been dissolved under dubious circumstances. Rebel groups have refused to participate in this second round of elections.
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is heavily favored to win the election, despite low voter turnout in the first phase, which saw only 52.13% participation. Critics argue that the playing field was unfairly tilted in favor of the junta, with laws designed to suppress opposition voices.
According to analysts, including Richard Horsey of Crisis Group, the USDP is on track for a landslide victory, one that will hardly be a surprise given the significant advantages it has enjoyed. The international community remains deeply divided over the legitimacy of these elections, with many Western countries and human rights groups labeling them a farce.
The junta claims that the election will bring stability and a brighter future to Myanmar, but this assessment is widely disputed. The country is grappling with one of Asia's worst humanitarian crises, with at least 16,600 civilians killed and 3.6 million displaced since the coup. Any military-controlled government would likely face significant international skepticism.
Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief, sidestepped questions about his own ambitions during a recent visit to central Myanmar, instead hailing the election as a success and urging authorities to boost turnout further. His assertion that the election can be considered successful is met with widespread incredulity.
i remember when they had that one famous opposition leader suu kyi she was like totally iconic but now she's detained along with tons of others and her party got dissolved its so sad 
the military is gonna win for sure and it'll be a total farce according to all the analysts they're already saying the international community is divided on this and i dont blame them myanmar has been through some crazy stuff since that coup in 2021
. They think they can just sweep everything under the rug and hold another fake election? Newsflash: it's still 2021, not some alternate universe where democracy didn't happen. I mean, come on, how many times do you have to try before you get it right? The whole thing reeks of rigged gamesmanship - opposition leaders locked up, laws created to suppress dissent... it's just so predictable.
. 52.13% is basically a joke in itself. It's like they're trying to pretend that everyone's happy with this whole situation. The international community calling them out for it? Please, do us all a favor and just accept that Myanmar's lost its way.
. At least she'd have the decency to admit when she was wrong (though probably not). The junta chief's attempt to spin this as some kind of success is laughable - like he actually thinks anyone believes that nonsense 
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i mean i know the intl community is divided on this but come on, can't we all just agree that whats happening there is wrong?! 
i dont think min aung hlaing's trying to hide his ambitions lol he seemed so confident when he was talking about the election and its like, yeah right 
. The fact that they're trying to spin this as stability is just laughable - we've seen what happens when they get their way... not good, trust me 
. Can't help but wonder how much longer these "elections" are gonna keep getting pushed back.
this 2nd phase of military-run elections in Myanmar is just another example of how the junta's grip on power only gets tighter 
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. Even Richard Horsey from Crisis Group says it's gonna be a landslide win for the USDP - which isn't exactly surprising considering they've had all these advantages.
. I mean, who needs free and fair elections when you've got guns and propaganda? The international community is right to be skeptical – they should be. We need to be holding the junta accountable for their actions, not just condemning them without concrete action 
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