Myanmar sets April by-elections in 39 seats, including areas hit by war
Voting is set for April 4, 2027, and includes seats where the junta's earlier polls were called off because of the civil war.
Myanmar will hold by-elections on April 4, 2027, in 39 constituencies of the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, The Straits Times and The Hindu reported on Friday (Nov 6). The vote will cover areas where the pro-military Parliament could not previously hold polls because of the civil war.
Both outlets carried an AFP report citing a Union Election Commission statement published by state media. According to that report, the announcement indicates the military's increasing confidence in its ability to control territory, after it claimed advances following a string of offensives.
The junta held phased elections last December and January, which it promoted as a return to democracy after the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Those polls were highly restrictive. They were blocked in areas seized by rebels opposed to military rule, who rejected the elections as a charade.
Parliament is now dominated by lawmakers from the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party. Suu Kyi's party was dissolved and she remains in detention. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the coup, was quickly voted in as civilian president. Analysts and activists cited in the AFP report describe the new government as a "fig leaf" for military rule.
The civil war that followed the takeover is in its sixth year. Conflict monitor ACLED estimates it has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
About two-thirds of the 39 seats in April's vote fell vacant because their lawmakers were promoted to senior government roles. The Constitution requires members to give up their seats in that case.
The remaining third, by AFP's tally, are constituencies where voting in the previous elections was called off for security reasons. Fighting is still going on in some of the areas now scheduled to vote, including the northern Sagaing region, the central Mandalay region and the western state of Chin.
Sources: The Straits Times, Myanmar announces by-elections, expanding Parliament writ; The Hindu, Myanmar to conduct byelections next April.
