Myanmar’s military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has taken an early lead in the first stage of a highly disputed general election, according to initial results released by state media. This marks the country’s first vote since the 2021 coup.
The junta, which crushed pro-democracy protests after seizing power, has claimed the three-phase election will restore stability to the struggling Southeast Asian nation.
Preliminary figures from the Union Election Commission (UEC), covering 56 constituencies, show the USDP winning decisively despite low voter participation. Results published Friday indicate the party, led by retired generals, secured 38 of 40 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw, Myanmar’s lower house.
The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party known as the White Tiger Party and the Mon Unity Party each captured one seat.
In regional and state assemblies, the USDP won 14 of 15 seats counted under the first-past-the-post system, with the Akha National Development Party taking the remaining seat. For the upper house, or Amyotha Hluttaw, only one seat has been announced so far, awarded to the Wa National Party.
No timeline has been given for the final results. The election has drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations, Western governments, and rights groups, as opposition parties have been barred and public criticism of the polls is prohibited.
The commission has not disclosed how many constituencies participated in the first phase, releasing only partial results by constituency.
The junta reported Wednesday that 52% of eligible voters cast ballots, a figure well below the roughly 70% turnout seen in the 2015 and 2020 elections, according to the US-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Two additional rounds of voting are scheduled for 11 January and 25 January, covering 265 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, though the military does not fully control all of them.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate ousted after her party’s landslide victory in 2020, remains imprisoned, and her National League for Democracy has been dissolved.
Analysts warn that the junta’s attempt to establish a functioning government amid ongoing conflict faces serious challenges, and international recognition of any military-dominated administration is expected to remain limited.
