Myanmar Junta Lifts Emergency Rule Ahead of Controversial December Vote
Four years after seizing power, the military administration ends its state of emergency, paving the way for elections widely condemned as a sham by international observers
- Myanmar's ruling junta has lifted the state of emergency, which was imposed during the February 2021 coup, to facilitate a general election planned for December.
- The election will be overseen by a commission chaired by military chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is expected to retain effective control as interim president.
- The planned vote is highly controversial, facing boycotts from opposition groups and condemnation from a UN expert as a "fraud" to legitimize military rule, with new laws imposing harsh prison sentences for disrupting the process.
Myanmar's ruling junta declared an end to the country's state of emergency on Thursday, a move that accelerates preparations for a December general election.
The upcoming poll has already drawn sharp criticism from international monitors and faces a boycott from several opposition factions.
"The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy," announced junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun in an audio message distributed to reporters.
He further stated that "Elections will be held within six months," referring to the December timeframe.
The military first imposed emergency rule in February 2021 when it overthrew the civilian government led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. This coup ignited a multi-front civil war that has since claimed thousands of lives across the nation.
The 2021 declaration granted the military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, ultimate authority over the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. However, in recent months, he has presented the idea of elections as a potential pathway out of the protracted conflict.
State media reported on Thursday that the military junta has established an 11-member commission, chaired by Min Aung Hlaing himself, to oversee the forthcoming election.
According to MRTV, Min Aung Hlaing is expected to retain effective control of the country in his capacity as interim president during the electoral process.
The junta recently enacted new electoral legislation, announced on Wednesday, which imposes stringent penalties for actions deemed to undermine the voting process.
This includes prison sentences of up to 10 years for speech or protests aimed at "destroying a part of the electoral process." The new law specifies that anyone who speaks, organises, incites, protests, or distributes materials to disrupt any element of the election could face three to ten years' imprisonment, alongside a fine.
Furthermore, individuals who threaten, obstruct, abuse, or severely injure election commission staff, candidates, or voters could face sentences ranging from three years to life in prison.
Opposition groups, including former lawmakers deposed in the 2021 coup, have vowed to shun the December ballot. Last month, a UN expert dismissed the election plans as "a fraud" designed purely to legitimise the military's continued grip on power.
Analysts widely anticipate that Min Aung Hlaing will maintain a significant role, either as president or armed forces chief, post-election, thereby consolidating his authority and extending his de facto rule.
Although an exact date for the poll has yet to be announced by the junta, political parties are currently undergoing registration, and training sessions for electronic voting machines have already commenced.
A census conducted last year in preparation for the election reportedly failed to collect data from 19 million of Myanmar's 51 million citizens, according to provisional results.
This shortfall was attributed, in part, to "significant security constraints," underscoring the limited reach the election may have amidst the ongoing civil war. Analysts predict that rebel forces are likely to escalate offensives around the election period as a clear demonstration of their opposition.
In response, the junta this month began offering financial incentives to individuals willing to surrender their weapons and "return to the legal fold" ahead of the vote.
SOURCE : France 24
