Myanmar Military-Backed USDP Wins Over 72% of Seats in Junta’s Election: UEC

The Myanmar junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed a sweeping victory in the military-organized election, winning over 72 percent of contested seats—739 out of 1,025—according to official results released by the Union Election Commission (UEC). The poll, held in three phases between December 2025 and January 2026 across 263 townships, is widely dismissed as illegitimate after the regime jailed elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and dissolved major opposition parties such as the National League for Democracy (NLD). Ahead of the vote, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing transferred dozens of serving and former military figures into the USDP, ensuring its dominance. Smaller military-aligned and ethnic parties shared the remaining seats, while many prominent party leaders failed to win their races. Several parties alleged manipulation of advance votes, but the UEC rejected the complaints. Min Aung Hlaing claimed a 54.22 percent voter turnout, a figure widely disputed. Internationally, the election has been rejected as neither free nor fair. The United Nations, democratic governments, and rights groups dismissed the results, while Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said it does not endorse the outcome. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews stated that only an illegitimate government can emerge from such an election and urged the international community to reject it.