Under the shadow of civil war and questions over the poll’s credibility, the initial round of Myanmar’s phased general election closed on Sunday, with signs of low voter turnout for the first polls since a military coup in 2021.
The junta, having crushed pro-democracy protests after the coup and sparked a nationwide rebellion, said the vote would bring political stability to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, despite international condemnation of the exercise.
The United Nations, some Western countries and human rights groups have said the vote is not free, fair or credible, given that anti-junta political parties are out of the running and it is illegal to criticise the polls….
Weak Turnout Seen in Myanmar’s Phased Election, First Since 2021 Coup
