Myanmar Holds 2025 General Election After Five Years of Civil War

Myanmar launched its 2025 multi-party general election on Sunday, five years after the country was engulfed in a civil war. The elections, seen as a crucial step toward restoring democratic governance, are being held in three phases, with the second phase scheduled for January 11, 2026, and the third phase on January 25.

The election covers 692 constituencies nationwide, with roughly 5,000 candidates from 57 political parties contesting for seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House), Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), and State and Region Hluttaws (State and Region Parliaments). The elected members of the Union Parliament will subsequently choose a new president, who will form the next Union Government.

To facilitate voting, the Union Election Commission has set up 21,517 polling stations across the country. For the first time, Myanmar has introduced a Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system, which combines First-Past-the-Post and Proportional Representation, along with electronic voting machines, aiming to modernize the election process and encourage broader representation.

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A notable feature of the 2025 polls is the surge in female candidates. A total of 1,183 women are contesting, compared to 908 in 2020 and 799 in 2015. Election officials attribute this rise to the proportional representation system, which has encouraged more women to participate actively in politics. Citizens living abroad have also been able to cast advance votes at embassies and consulates, ensuring wider voter inclusion.

International observers from multiple countries have arrived in Myanmar to monitor the election, reflecting the global attention on the country’s democratic transition. Authorities and political analysts say the election will be a litmus test for Myanmar’s stability and its ability to move forward after years of conflict. The last general election in Myanmar was held in November 2020, before the political unrest and civil war that followed.

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