Myanmar Elections | Why Myanmar's First General Election In 5 Years Are Controversial

Voting is underway in Myanmar’s controversial general election. Doors opened at 6 a.m. local time and so far, at this polling station in Yangon at least, it’s been slow-going. The vote comes almost five years after the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, claiming it had cheated its way to power. The move plunged Myanmar into civil war as angry citizens took up arms and fought back. The generals say, with this election, they are returning the country to multi-party, democratic politics. Their opponents scoff at that idea and have called for a boycott. How can it possibly be a true reflection of the people’s wishes, they say, when the most popular party by far – Suu Kyi’ s National League for Democracy – was dissolved in 2023 and cannot compete? The election process, they say, is a trick to keep the generals in power in the guise of a civilian government. Much of the international community has branded it a “sham” but China, India and Russia are backing it. The military hopes their example will persuade other countries to re-engage. I mentioned the civil war: well large parts of the country are not under military control. So, even after three tranches of voting – the first today, the last in late January – many parts of the country will see no election at all.