Myanmar sets Dec 28 for first phase of three-phase election

Myanmar’s military government announced that the first phase of a general election will be held on December 28, with voting in more than 300 constituencies across the country. The election is to unfold in three phases, with dates for the subsequent rounds to be announced later, purportedly to accommodate security concerns amid a sprawling civil conflict that has left large parts of the country out of government control. In a backdrop of boycotts by major opposition groups and intense fighting with pro-democracy militias and ethnic armed organizations, the announcement underscored the regime’s effort to present a return to civilian governance while maintaining firm control over the process.

The electoral plan comes as Myanmar remains divided by an ongoing war that began after the 2021 coup, which toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government. The country has seen thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, with large segments of territory intermittently or permanently outside the reach of the central authorities. In this climate, a newly formed interim administration has said voting will take place in areas that are sometimes under armed opposition...