YANGON (AFP): Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council agreed Monday to extend the country's state of emergency by six months, state media said, likely delaying elections the junta had pledged to hold by August.
Acting president Myint Swe announced the decision to prolong the state of emergency -- declared when the generals toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government in February 2021 -- for another six months, according to state broadcaster MRTV.
The state of emergency was due to expire at the end of July but on Monday the junta-stacked National Defence and Security Council met to discuss the state of the nation.
Myint Swe told the meeting that the "state of emergency period would be extended another six months starting from August 1st, 2023".
The junta had previously promised fresh elections in August of this year but in February it again extended the emergency ordinance, a day after its National Defence and Security Council said the situation in the country had "not returned to normalcy yet".
Extending the state of emergency pushes back the date by which elections must be held, according to the country's constitution. - AFP
