Why is Myanmar voting amid conflict?, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Myanmar held the first phase of elections on December 28, 2025, with subsequent phases on January 11 and January 25, despite ongoing conflict following the February 2021 coup.
• The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, was dissolved, and its leaders detained after the military coup.
• The Union Election Commission (UEC), reconstituted by the military, registered six national parties and 51 provincial parties for the elections.
• The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is expected to dominate due to the deregistration of other major parties and resource constraints faced by remaining parties.
• The elections employ both first-past-the-post (FPTP) and proportional representation (PR) systems, with the military holding 25% of legislative seats.
• International reactions are mixed, with criticism from the UN, EU, and Australia, while China and Russia sent election observers.

Detailed Insights:

• The 2021 coup led to the detention of civilian leaders and prompted armed resistance from the People’s Defence Forces and Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs).
• The Tatmadaw has lost control of significant areas, and the UEC has cancelled elections in several constituencies due to security concerns.
• The Election Protection Law, enacted in July 2025, has led to the arrest of approximately 229 people, and the use of electronic voting machines raises concerns about electoral integrity.
• Many young people have migrated from Myanmar to avoid conscription, resulting in low voter turnout and reduced participation in the electoral process.
• The FPTP system is used for the lower house, while the upper house and State legislatures use both PR and FPTP, potentially fragmenting the political landscape.
• ASEAN has refused to allow Myanmar military leaders at its meetings, and the military hopes the elections will improve its international legitimacy.
• The US Treasury Department's decision to lift sanctions on firms linked to the military has raised concerns about prioritizing access to rare earth minerals over democratic principles.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tatmadaw: The official name of the armed forces of Myanmar.
• First-Past-the-Post (FPTP): An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins.
• Proportional Representation (PR): An electoral system where seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes received.
• Federalism: A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.