Myanmar's Final Election Phase Underway in Key Cities

Voters across Myanmar cast ballots on Sunday in the third and final phase of the country's general election, a process widely viewed by international observers as neither free nor fair, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party positioned for a dominant victory.

Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time in 60 townships, including the major cities of Yangon and Mandalay, covering nine states and regions. This phase follows earlier rounds on December 28 and January 11, marking the first national vote since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The staggered approach, involving 330 townships in total, excluded numerous conflict zones where armed groups hold sway, affecting an estimated 21 percent of the country under junta control as of late 2024.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, has already secured a strong lead from the initial phases, winning 193 of 209 contested seats in the lower house and 52 of 78 in the upper house, according to election commission data. Combined with the military's constitutionally guaranteed allocation of 166 seats, the party holds nearly...