Myanmar Pro-Military Party Claims Majority In Junta-Run Elections

Last Updated:January 13, 2026, 15:12 IST

The country’s military has dominated Myanmar’s politics for most of its post-independence history, briefly loosening its grip during a decade-long period of limited civilian rule.

Members of the election commission prepare to count ballots from the second phase of Myanmar's general election. AFP Image

Myanmar’s main pro-military political party on Tuesday claimed it had secured a majority of the elected seats in the lower house following voting held under the junta’s supervision, a development that democracy advocates warn will further cement the armed forces’ hold on power.

The country’s military has dominated Myanmar’s politics for most of its post-independence history, briefly loosening its grip during a decade-long period of limited civilian rule.

That experiment ended abruptly in 2021, when the armed forces staged a coup, ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and plunged the country into prolonged conflict.

The junta is now overseeing a phased election process, which it says will culminate in the restoration of power to civilians after the final round of voting on January 25.

However, critics argue the process has been designed to exclude genuine opposition voices.

With Suu Kyi in detention and her party dissolved, democracy groups have described the polls as deeply flawed, alleging widespread repression of dissent and a ballot dominated by military-aligned candidates from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

An official from the USDP, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on releasing results, told AFP that the party had won 87 of the 100 seats contested during the second phase of voting held on Sunday.

When combined with its earlier gains in the first phase, the party now claims 176 seats in the 330-member elected lower house, giving it a narrow majority even before the final phase is completed.

The United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said last week that the elections had been engineered to guarantee victory for the military’s political proxy and to project a false sense of legitimacy.

He warned that the process was aimed at entrenching military rule rather than reflecting the will of the people.

Myanmar’s lower house has a total of 440 seats, of which 110 are constitutionally reserved for the military, further reinforcing its influence.

Analysts widely view the USDP, whose leadership includes many former military officers, as a vehicle for continued army control.

Parliament is expected to convene in March, at which point lawmakers from both houses will elect the president.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has previously indicated he may step down as military leader to assume the civilian presidency.

News world Myanmar Pro-Military Party Claims Majority In Junta-Run Elections

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