Myanmar: Myanmar has officially postponed the election, which was decided to take place on August 2023. This decision comes after the military extended the state of emergency, which was imposed following the 2021 coup. The military has noted violence as the reason for the election delay in a statement on state television.
“In order to have an election that is free and fair and also to be able to vote without any fear, necessary security arrangements are still needed, and so the period for the state of emergency has been extended,” the military stated.
The announcement made by the military can be seen as an acknowledgement that they lack sufficient control to organize the elections and have been unable to suppress the widespread opposition to their rule. This opposition includes mounting armed resistance as well as nonviolent protests and civil disobedience, which have posed significant challenges to the military’s authority.
The state of emergency was declared on 1st February 2021, after the military arrested Mr. Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader, along with top officials from her government and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The military justified its actions by alleging widespread fraud in the November 2020 election, which resulted in the NLD’s return to power. This accusation was used as a basis for their power grab.
The takeover reversed years of progress towards democracy after five decades of military rule in Myanmar, as per the statement. Initially, the military had announced that new polls would be conducted one year after their takeover, but later, they rescheduled the elections to take place in August 2023.
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