'Unfair election': young voters absent from Myanmar polls; overall tepid turnout


People queue to cast their votes at a polling station during Myanmar's general election in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on Sunday, December 28, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Stringer

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP): The droves of young people who queued to cast ballots in past elections in Myanmar were conspicuous by their absence from Sunday's military-run poll, with older voters dominating the turnout.

Legions have left the war-ravaged country since the military seized power five years ago, including many men of conscription age -- up to 35 -- or youngsters seeking better livelihoods away from Myanmar's moribund economy.

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