Junta chief says Myanmar to hold an election by January

Military is struggling to keep control four years after coup

- STUTI MISHRA

Myanmar is set to hold its first election since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, plunging the country into a brutal civil war.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, announced that elections would take place in December 2025 or January 2026 at the latest, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

Speaking in Belarus, one of Myanmar's few remaining allies, he said 53 political parties had already submitted their lists to participate. However, no exact date was given, and the junta has repeatedly pushed back election plans while facing growing battlefield losses.