Myanmar to hold second phase of election in January

By Shoon Naing

(Reuters) -Myanmar’s military government will hold the second phase of its multi-stage election on January 11, state media said on Wednesday, a vote dismissed as a sham by Western countries, the United Nations and human rights groups.

Myanmar has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting a civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a nationwide armed resistance.

Dozens of pro-democracy parties have either been banned or are refusing to take part in the elections, which junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has admitted will not be held nationwide.

The second phase will be held two weeks after the first phase on December 28, and cover 100 townships nationwide, including several in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial cap