The chief of Myanmar's ruling junta vowed on Thursday (March 27) to hold a free and fair election in December, as he urged armed opponents in a widening civil war to renounce violence and pursue dialogue.
Min Aung Hlaing during a speech at the country's annual armed forces day parade said the military was seeking to hold a "dignified" election and promised to transfer power to the winning party.
He told hundreds of soldiers assembled at the sprawling parade ground in the capital Naypyitaw that they must support a free and fair, multi-party vote.
"The necessary preparations are underway for the election," he said. "We are working on to hold the election people desire, which is a free and fair and multi-party democratic election."
"We will transfer power to the wining party," he added.
Despite being locked in a civil war, the economy in tatters and dozens of political parties banned or refusing to take part, the military is determined to forge ahead with an election, which critics have derided as a sham to keep the generals in power through proxies.
Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country and fend off a rebellion that has its roots in a youth-led uprising, which the army suppressed with lethal force.
Min Aung Hlaing had earlier this month said the election would take place either in December this year, or January 2026, providing a timeframe for the first time during a visit to Belarus.
The junta conducted a census last year as part of preparations to create a voter list, for which it said a full on-ground survey was compiled in only 145 of Myanmar's 330 townships. It says 53 parties have signed up to contest the election.
Opponents of the military government have said they would disrupt the vote and have asked other countries not to recognise the outcome, saying it will be held against the will of the people.
Min Aung Hlaing said the military was fighting a "just war" against rebels bent on destroying the country, urging them to give up their armed campaign and pursue political solutions through dialogue.
Some analysts say the holding of the ballot could trigger even more violence and Myanmar's neighbours in the Southeast Asian bloc Asean have told the junta to prioritise peace over an election.
Fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
Source: Reuters
