Myanmar Junta Holds Election Amidst Civil War, Controls Half the Country; Opposition Barred

• Myanmar's military junta is holding its first election since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, amidst an ongoing civil war.
• The junta controls only about half the country, with many constituencies and millions of voters excluded due to conflict and suppression.
• Major democratic forces, including Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), have been barred or dissolved, leaving military-aligned candidates as frontrunners.
• The election is widely seen by Western governments and the United Nations as a sham designed to legitimize military rule, not restore democracy.
• The vote is taking place in phases, starting December 28, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) expected to dominate.

Why It Matters: Myanmar's election is a limited, military-controlled process amidst civil war, widely criticized as illegitimate.