Myanmar: Second Round of Voting Takes Place in First Ever Polls Since 2021 Junta Takeover
New Delhi: The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is headed for a huge victory in Myanmar after the completion of the second stage of what the United Nations has called a “sham” election that is neither free nor fair or credible in the absence of a meaningful opposition.
News agency Reuters reported that electors lined up in war-torn Myanmar on January 11, 2026 to cast their votes for the second stage of the military- run polls. The first stage of the election was conducted on December 28, 2025 and saw a mere 52.13% turnout, much lower than elections in 2020 and 2025.
This is the first elections in Myanmar that has been severed by a conflict after Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi-run civilian government was ousted in a coup by the military in 2021. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy had swept the 2020 polls but was dissolved along with other pro-democracy parties after the coup. The current elections are bereft of any serious opposition to the junta government, as rebel groups and anti-junta parties have refused to participate.
A final round of elections that is being conducted in 265 of the country’s 330 townships, including in areas where the junta doesn’t have full control, will take place on January 25, 2026. However, the USDP and other army allies are well placed to register a landslide victory in light of the current circumstances.
“The USDP is on track for a landslide victory, which is hardly a surprise given the extent to which the playing field was tilted in its favour. This included the removal of any serious rivals and a set of laws designed to stifle opposition to the polls,” said Richard Horsey, Senior Myanmar Adviser for Crisis Group.
Meanwhile, the junta has claimed that the polls will bring political stability and a better future for Myanmar. Analysts have, however, been doubtful about any gains for the junta government in seeking international legitimacy because of the elections. Since the military coup in 2021, at least 16,600 civilians have died, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, while the U.N. has estimated that 3.6 million people have been displaced.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in December hailed the election as a success and urged authorities to boost voter turnout. “In phase one of the election, a large number of votes were cast, showing that the people have a strong desire to participate in the democratic process,” state media quoted him as saying. “Therefore, the election can be considered a successful one.”
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