Junta-backed party claims sweeping victory in Myanmar’s disputed general election

What happened

The Guardian Myanmar reports that Myanmar’s military-backed Union and Solidarity Development Party (USDP) has secured overwhelming majorities in the country’s three-phase general election, winning 232 of 263 seats in the lower house and 109 of 157 seats announced so far in the upper house. The election concluded in late January and is the first since the 2021 military coup.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure or battlefield claim should be read as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source. The vote took place amid ongoing civil war, widespread repression, and displacement, with around 3.6 million people displaced according to the United Nations. Many townships—67 out of 330—did not hold voting due to conflict between the military, ethnic armed groups, and local resistance forces that emerged after the coup. Turnout was approximately 55%, down from around 70% in previous elections.

Human rights organizations, Western governments, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have denounced the election as a sham and refused to endorse it. These critics highlight the dissolution of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, exclusion of multiple parties, and claims that the process was tightly controlled to entrench military dominance.

Known from the source

• Myanmar’s Union and Solidarity Development Party, backed by the military, won a majority in both parliamentary chambers in a three-phase election concluding in January 2026.
• The election covered 263 of 330 townships; voting was canceled in conflict-affected areas.
• Turnout was approximately 55%, lower than previous elections.
• The military holds 25% of seats by constitutional guarantee.
• Around 3.6 million people have been displaced by conflict since the 2021 coup, according to the United Nations.

What remains unclear

Myanmar’s military government insists the polls were free, fair, and supported by the public. Under the country’s political system, the military is guaranteed 25% of parliamentary seats, reinforcing its control regardless of election outcomes. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is expected to remain influential in the next administration due to this structure and the party’s victory.

What remains unclear: Final official confirmation of complete election results and seat distribution. Independent verification of voting conditions and turnout figures, especially in conflict zones. Updates on displacement figures linked to election-related fighting and repression. Statements or reports clarifying the role of the junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the next administration.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: The Guardian Myanmar. Open the source.