2025 Election Sees Record Number of Uncontested Automatic Winners

Myanmar’s 2025–26 junta-run election recorded a historic number of uncontested victories, with 31 constituencies automatically awarding seats due to the absence of rival candidates, most of them in Sagaing Region. These included seats across all parliamentary levels, largely benefiting the USDP, alongside a small number won by ethnic parties. The situation was enabled by election laws allowing automatic wins when only one candidate is registered, and analysts attribute the lack of competition to insecurity, restrictive party registration rules, and political pressure. Despite nearly 5,000 candidates from 57 parties and independents formally contesting nationwide, the election was marked by significant structural constraints that severely limited genuine competition.