What happened in Myanmar?

  • On January 26, 2026, Myanmar’s dominant pro-military party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), declared victory in the country’s junta-run elections.
  • The announcement came a day after the third and final phase of voting, which concluded on Sunday.
  • A senior USDP official stated that the party had already secured a majority and was in a position to form a new government.
  • Official election results are expected to be released later this week.

WHO DECLARED THE VICTORY & WHAT WAS SAID?

  • A senior official of the USDP, speaking anonymously, told media agencies:
    • “We won a majority already.”
    • “We are in the position to form a new government.”
    • “As we won in the election, we will move forward.”
  • The official said they were not authorised to release preliminary results, but confirmed the party’s confidence in victory.

BACKGROUND: MYANMAR’S MILITARY TAKEOVER

  • Myanmar has been under military rule since February 2021, when the armed forces staged a coup d’état.
  • The coup overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
  • Since the coup:
    • Suu Kyi has remained detained
    • Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been dissolved
  • The military justified the takeover by alleging election fraud in the 2020 elections, which the NLD had won by a landslide.

NATURE OF USDP

  • The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is widely viewed as a civilian proxy of the Myanmar military.
  • Analysts describe the party as closely aligned with the armed forces, rather than an independent civilian political force.
  • The military previously governed Myanmar directly and later used the USDP as a political vehicle during earlier periods of controlled democracy.

WHY ARE THE ELECTIONS CONTROVERSIAL?

  • Democracy watchdogs and analysts have strongly criticised the polls, calling them:
    • A rebranding of military rule
    • A process designed to give the junta civilian legitimacy
  • Critics argue that:
    • The ballot was stacked in favour of military allies
    • Major opposition forces were barred from contesting

ABSENCE OF KEY POLITICAL PARTIES

  • According to the Asian Network for Free Elections, parties that had won around 90% of seats in the 2020 election were not allowed to participate this time.
  • This effectively excluded:
    • Pro-democracy parties
    • Former ruling forces with popular support
  • As a result, voters were left with limited political choices, heavily tilted towards the military-backed establishment.

VOTING NOT HELD ACROSS THE COUNTRY

  • Voting did not take place in large parts of Myanmar.
  • These areas are controlled by:
    • Rebel groups
    • Armed resistance factions
  • The ongoing civil war, triggered by the 2021 coup, made polling impossible in these regions.
  • This has raised serious questions about the national mandate of the election.

SECURITY ENVIRONMENT DURING THE POLLS

  • In areas controlled by the junta:
    • Political dissent has been systematically suppressed
    • New laws criminalise:
      • Protests
      • Criticism of the election
    • Punishments can include up to 10 years in prison.
    • According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP):
      • More than 22,000 people are currently imprisoned in junta jails.

ROLE OF JUNTA CHIEF

  • On Sunday, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was seen touring polling stations in civilian clothing in Mandalay.
  • He did not rule out becoming president under the new political arrangement.
  • Under Myanmar’s system:
    • The president is chosen by a majority of Members of Parliament
    • Parliament is expected to convene in March 2026

MILITARY STRATEGY BEHIND THE ELECTION

  • Analysts say the military has carefully stage-managed the election.
  • The objective was to:
    • Retain real power
    • Create a veneer of civilian governance
  • Five years after the coup, the election is seen as an attempt to:
    • Normalise military rule
    • Reduce international pressure

INTERNATIONAL REACTION & CONCERNS

  • The response of the international community is seen as crucial.
  • UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andres warned that:
    • The election outcome inside Myanmar was never in doubt
    • What mattered most was international acceptance or rejection
  • He stated that recognising the election would:
    • Legitimize a fraudulent political exercise
    • Set back prospects for resolving Myanmar’s crisis

BROADER IMPLICATIONS

  • The elections do not resolve:
    • The civil war
    • Political repression
    • The legitimacy crisis
  • Instead, they may:
    • Entrench military control
    • Further isolate Myanmar internationally
    • Prolong internal conflict