People walk along a street near the jade market in Mandalay on Monday, January 26, 2026, a day after the junta's landslide victoryin the General Elections. -- Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
YANGON (Bloomberg): The political party aligned with Myanmar’s junta projected its secured victory in an election that the United Nations and many governments have criticized as flawed.
Meanwhile, China, which has supported the junta, expressed confidence in the polls, calling them "smooth and orderly,” setting the stage for Beijing to deepen its connections with the neighboring country struggling with the ongoing civil war and international isolation.
The regime-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party said Monday that it’s confident it secured enough votes in the election, which ended Sunday after three phases of voting.
"Generally speaking, we won the majority but we have to wait for the Union Election Commission’s announcements to be in line with the law,” USDP spokesman Hla Thein told Bloomberg by phone, adding that he expects the full results will be released by next week.
The long-expected vote, the first since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, began last month and was held in urban areas of 263 out of 330 townships. Many areas, particularly conflict zones, are excluded from the process.
"The election process was smooth and orderly, characterized by active voter participation,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press briefing in Beijing Monday. "China extends its congratulations on this outcome.”
Myanmar state media reported Monday that India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Nicaragua and Belarus sent election observers.
The military-backed party won the majority in major cities, according to Nay Lin, member of USDP’s Central Committee. In the commercial capital of Yangon, the party lost only one of the 45 townships, Kyimyindaing, he said.
"Now we can safely announce we have won this election by a landslide enough to independently form the new government,” he said. "Once official results are announced, we will proceed as planned earlier.”
Turnout in the first two phases was reported at roughly 52% to 56%, with state media citing attempts by armed groups to disrupt voting through intimidation, though independent verification is limited.
According to the election commission’s results for the first two phases, USDP secured 182 seats in the Lower House, 52 seats in the Upper House and 238 seats in provincial assemblies.
-- ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
