Myanmar junta lifts emergency as election race heats up
Myanmar’s Upcoming Election: Analysts Project Min Aung Hlaing’s Continuing Influence
The Myanmar junta announced the end of its February 2021 state of emergency this Thursday, signalling a shift toward a December poll that opposition factions refuse to acknowledge while international observers criticize the process.
Background: From Coup to Civil War
Deposing democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi, the military’s decree granted junta chief Min Aung Hlaing absolute control over the legislature, executive and judiciary—yet he now frames elections as a tool to ease conflict.
Opposition’s Stance
- Former lawmakers ousted in the coup pledge to boycott the vote.
- A UN expert labeled the poll as a “fraud” designed to legitimize the military’s rule.
Junta’s Rhetoric
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun transmitted a voice message to reporters: “The emergency ends today, allowing elections on the pathway to multi‑party democracy.” He added, “Elections will occur within six months.”
Min Aung Hlaing’s Vision
Speakers at the Global New Light of Myanmar reported the chief’s remarks: “We have already completed the first chapter; now we begin the second.” He described the December poll as “an effort to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots.”
Election Preparations
No official polling date has yet materialized, but the junta proceeds with political party registration and electronic voting machine training. A new law signed Wednesday imposes up to ten‑year prison sentences for speeches or protests deemed to “destroy part of the electoral process.”
Challenges Ahead
- The 2023 census missed data on 19 million of the country’s 51 million people, citing “significant security constraints.”
- Analysts predict rebel offensives around the election as a sign of opposition.
- The junta now offers cash rewards to individuals willing to lay down arms and “return to the legal fold” before the vote.
