Democracy watchdogs say Myanmar's junta-run vote is a charade to rebrand the rule of the military. -- PHOTO: AFP
YANGON (AFP): Myanmar's junta will stage the third and final round of its heavily restricted elections on January 25, a statement said Thursday, just days before polls open for the first batch of ballots.
Democracy watchdogs say the junta-run vote is a charade to rebrand the rule of the military, which snatched power in a 2021 coup triggering a civil war that has seen much of the country captured by rebel factions.
Democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed since the putsch, her massively popular party dissolved, and the United Nations has slated the junta for a sweeping pre-election dissent crackdown.
The first round of voting is due on Sunday, with a second bout of ballots due to be cast on January 11.
The junta-stacked Union Election Commission said in a statement a third round will take place in 63 of the country's 330 townships on January 25.
Myanmar's military has ruled the Southeast Asian country for most of its post-independence history, before a 10-year interlude saw a civilian government take the reins in a burst of optimism and reform.
But after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party trounced pro-military opponents in 2020 elections, military chief Min Aung Hlaing snatched power, alleging widespread voter fraud.
Security forces put down pro-democracy protests, and many activists quit the cities to fight as guerrillas alongside ethnic minority armies that have long held sway in Myanmar's fringes.
Min Aung Hlaing touts the upcoming polls as a return to democracy and a chance for rebels opposing the military to make peace.
Monitors say the ballot is stacked with a curated list of military allies, while the junta has introduced stark legislation punishing protest or criticism of the vote with up to a decade in prison. -- AFP
