25-3-2024 (YANGON) Myanmar’s military rulers have announced plans to hold elections under the condition of peace and stability in the country, although they may not be conducted nationwide, according to the country’s top general. The announcement comes as the junta grapples with a widespread rebellion on multiple fronts.
In an interview with Russia’s Tass news agency, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing stated that despite the military’s control since the coup three years ago, they still intend to restore democratic governance in Myanmar. The interview transcript was carried by Myanmar’s state media.
The military leadership is currently facing one of its most significant challenges since seizing power in 1962, as a youth-led pro-democracy movement has evolved into an armed resistance following a brutal crackdown on protests. Concurrently, the military is engaged in renewed conflicts with ethnic minority armies in northern and eastern Myanmar, leading to accusations of systematic atrocities, which the military denies.
“We have a plan to hold the election in relevant sections as much as we can even if the election is not held nationwide under the law, provided the state is peaceful and stable,” Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying.
The junta has repeatedly extended emergency rule every six months, citing the need to stabilize the country and suppress what it labels as terrorist opponents.
To quell resistance, the military has deployed heavy artillery and fighter jets against militias aligned with a shadow government and ethnic minority insurgents, resulting in over 2.3 million people being displaced since the coup, as reported by the United Nations.
Critics and Western nations have denounced the prospect of Myanmar’s elections, arguing that they would lack credibility. More than 40 parties have been dissolved since the coup, and restrictive regulations make it challenging for new parties to emerge or challenge the military’s proxies.
