Amid the civil war, Myanmar’s junta government has announced plans for national elections, raising fears of violence intensifying. Many rebel forces are opposing the government and elections at the same time. In this situation, both sides are trying to strengthen regional control.
Eight people, including analysts, rebels and diplomats, said tensions were at an all-time high ahead of the election.
The generals, who ousted the elected civilian government in a military coup, have taken the initiative to gain legitimacy by holding another election.
For the past two months, the junta has pitched plans to hold elections this year to its neighbors. They have published the results of the census to prepare the voter list and announced in the state media that they are working to ensure ‘stability’ for the vote.
Their actions suggest that Myanmar’s junta has taken the issue of holding elections very seriously. But they have taken the initiative at a time of civil war when the military is regularly losing control of one area after another across the country.
The date of the election has not yet been announced. But many of the country’s opposition parties have been banned. Only tested and pro-military parties are allowed to take part in the vote. But the junta will only be able to hold the vote in about half of the country, not nationwide. Their initiatives have already met with ridicule from critics, who have called the election a “hoax”.
According to census reports released in December, the junta has been able to conduct censuses in only 145 of the country’s 330 cities. Now the generals plan to hold elections in only 160 to 170 cities by the end of the year, an official with knowledge of the talks in the capital Naypyitaw told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Before the vote, the junta focused on establishing stability in these areas, he said. A junta spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment.
A new resistance force formed after the military coup and an armed group formed by rebel forces set up by ethnic minorities have wrested much territory from the junta. They have pushed junta forces out of the border areas and have begun advancing towards the central lowlands.
“This will inevitably escalate the conflict to unprecedented levels,” said Myo Hein, an analyst on Myanmar at the US Peace Institute. ”
The state of emergency across Myanmar is set to expire at the end of January. There is speculation that the junta may extend the state of emergency for another six months without announcing an election date before the coup anniversary on February 1.