Myanmar to hold first general elections in five years

The army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021

Myanmar will hold the first phase of a general election on December 28, the country’s first polls in five years after a military coup in 2021.

Western governments and the United Nations have questioned the fairness of the Southeast Asian country’s three-phase elections.

Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her party are not taking part in the election.

Suu Kyi’s National League party was dissolved after refusing to officially register under the new military rules.

Delhi: MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “…On Myanmar, we stand for a democratic transition in the country. Elections are to be held. We support free, fair, and inclusive elections in which everybody participates. India stands for peace, stability, and the return of… pic.twitter.com/ZHzlY09L4G

— IANS (@ians_india) December 26, 2025

The military has termed the polls as a return to multi-party democracy, after it captured power ousting the government of Suu Kyi in 2021. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on charges described by opposition groups as politically motivated.

India has called for free, fair, and inclusive elections in Myanmar to ensure a transition to democracy, Hindustan Times reported.

“India supports Myanmar’s transition to democracy and it is of the view that participation of all political stakeholders is important for the credibility of the electoral exercise that is to happen there,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Voting will be held in three phases, with the second phase on January 11 and the third on January 25