Myanmar is set to hold special elections in April to fill parliamentary vacancies, according to an announcement by the Union Election Commission. This will be the country's first vote since a general election in January, which critics alleged was designed to legitimize the military junta's rule.
The upcoming by-elections will cover 55 constituencies, including 34 seats in the lower house, five in the upper house, and 16 in regional and state parliaments. Notably, the vote will include areas where conflict has persisted, allowing for the participation of representatives from constituencies that were previously unable to vote.
At least seven of these constituencies are located in towns recently recaptured by the military from armed groups. Some areas are also within seven states and regions where armed conflicts are ongoing. The elections are unlikely to shift the power balance in the national parliament, which is currently dominated by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, but they may offer a gauge of public support for the contesting parties.
Myanmar has been in a state of turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. This takeover led to widespread opposition, with many who opposed military rule taking up arms after security forces responded to peaceful protests with lethal force, escalating conflict across the country.
The January general election saw the USDP and its allies secure nearly 90% of parliamentary seats. Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief responsible for the 2021 takeover, was sworn in as president in April. Major opposition parties, such as Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, were previously ordered to disband for refusing to participate in what they deemed a fraudulent process. The January elections were criticized as an attempt to legitimize military rule, and conflict prevented voting in many areas, with voting taking place in only 263 of Myanmar's 330 townships.