Myanmar junta figures indicate less than half of political parties won seats in recent elections

According to figures released by the Myanmar junta, the junta-organised election saw a sharp decline in political competition and representation. Of the 57 political parties that contested, 26 parties failed to win a single seat, highlighting the highly restrictive and uneven electoral environment. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) benefited significantly, winning 28 seats uncontested and securing 739 seats in total, far ahead of all other parties. There were 31 uncontested constituencies, underscoring the lack of genuine competition. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing blamed defeated parties for failing to prepare adequately, while party members pointed instead to the junta’s Political Party Registration Law (2023), which imposed heavy financial, membership, and organizational requirements that many parties could not meet. Compared to previous elections in 2015 and 2020—when over 87 parties participated—the drastic reduction in parties and widespread uncontested races indicate that the election was structurally engineered to favor the military and marginalize political pluralism.