By Naing Yarzar Min / MPA
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has approved a significant increase in daily allowances and expenses for lawmakers following an election widely denounced as a “sham.”
According to a statement released by the military-controlled Union Election Commission on 28 January, accommodation and daily expenses for parliamentarians will be increased effectively immediately.
The daily accommodation allowance will rise from 5,000 kyats to 8,000 kyats, while miscellaneous daily expenses have been hiked from 5,000 kyats to 7,000 kyats. Furthermore, the standard daily stipend has doubled, jumping from 10,000 kyats to 20,000 kyats.
A Yangon-based political analyst noted that the total daily payout per lawmaker would now reach approximately 40,000 kyats (roughly $12-15 USD at market rates). “This is double what they received previously. These costs will be borne entirely by the national treasury,” the analyst told MPA.
The pay rise follows the first two phases of an election cycle engineered by the military. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)—largely comprised of former generals—has already claimed 471 out of the 607 seats contested so far.
The polls were held in 263 townships to select 688 lawmakers. Estimates suggest that once parliament is in session, the cost to the state will exceed 27.5 million kyats per day in allowances alone.
“Whether at the regional or national level, spending nearly 28 million kyats a day on these lawmakers is a staggering sum,” said a local journalist. “It is deeply frustrating to see public funds used to pay for individuals the public did not choose, especially while the national economy is in total collapse.”
The junta began its three-phase election process on 28 December 2024, utilizing revised electoral laws that effectively sidelined the opposition. Reports from across the country suggested widespread public boycotts, with turnout largely limited to military supporters.
Observers believe the move to increase lawmaker benefits is a strategic effort by the military chief to maintain the loyalty of the parliament that he expects will eventually appoint him as President.
