Mizzima
Myanmar military coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has announced plans to hold a general election in 2025 despite ongoing nationwide conflicts.
General Min Aung Hlaing made the statement during a meeting with civil servants and local leaders in Meiktila Town, in Mandalay Region, on 15 June 2024.
He said that preparations are underway to hold a population census in October 2024 before holding the election in 2025.
Currently, the junta is demonstrating the electronic voting machines that it intends to use in the elections to various political parties and selected members of the public.
Tin Tun Naing, the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) Minister of Planning, Finance, and Investment said that the junta is planning to hold elections in mid-2025. He also said that analysis by defence forces shows that the election will be held under a proportional representation (PR) system and the junta may combine constituencies where it is not in control.
At a press conference he said: “For example, in Chin State, they will combine townships like Thantlang, Hakha, Mindat, Matupi, and Paletwa into one large township, one large constituency. They will not conduct the election throughout the entire large township. Instead, they will only hold elections in the small controlled areas and then declare that these elections represent the entire large constituency, deceptively claiming victory.”
The junta is still facing ongoing fighting throughout the country and it has lost large areas of northern Shan State and Rakhine State and some areas of Kachin State.
