By Than Lyan / MPA [ Photo Story ]
NAYPYIDAW – Myanmar’s military junta is accelerating plans for a nationwide election, a move critics and rights groups are branding as a “political trick” designed to institutionalize military rule rather than restore democracy.
Since seizing power in a February 2021 coup, the junta has faced a nationwide armed resistance and a crumbling economy. Observers argue the proposed polls are not a transition to civilian rule, but a calculated “political trap” to wash away the bloodstained record of the past three years.
The legitimacy of any election rests on inclusivity. However, the military has already dissolved the National League for Democracy (NLD)—the party that won a landslide in 2020—and imprisoned its top leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
“This is a rubber-stamp exercise,” says a local political analyst. “By eliminating the opposition and hand-picking competing parties, the military is ensuring the next parliament is nothing more than an echo chamber for the generals.”
A key pillar of the election preparation is a mandatory national census. While the junta claims this is for voter list accuracy, activists warn it is a “digital surveillance” tool. In a country where millions are displaced by air strikes and ground offensives, the data collection is seen as a way to track resistance sympathizers and tighten the grip on a defiant population.
The shift from a ‘First-Past-The-Post’ to a Proportional Representation (PR) system is widely viewed as a structural maneuver. By combining the military’s constitutionally mandated 25% of seats with small, pro-military proxy parties, the junta aims to form a “legal” government despite a near-total lack of public support.
Experts warn that a sham election will likely exacerbate the conflict rather than solve it.
- Increased Repression: A “proxy government” may use its self-declared legitimacy to escalate crackdowns under the guise of law enforcement.
- Economic Isolation: Without international recognition, foreign investment will remain stagnant, leaving the population to struggle with hyperinflation and a collapsing kyat.
- Forced Conscription: There are growing fears that a new administration would more aggressively enforce conscription laws to replenish a depleted military.
The 2020 election results remain the definitive expression of the people’s will. By trampling on that mandate, the military’s upcoming polls are seen not as a solution, but as a “political theft.” Without the inclusion of genuine stakeholders and a cessation of violence, Myanmar’s path forward remains shrouded in darkness.
