Polls closed in an election held by the Myanmar military junta. The military’s proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, is on course for a landslide victory after opposition figures were banned and key opponents jailed or silenced. Critics and rights groups say the vote lacks legitimacy, occurring amid ongoing civil war, intimidation, and restrictions that exclude much of the population from meaningful participation. The poll is widely denounced internationally as a facade to legitimize junta rule rather than a free or fair democratic process.
Date: January 26, 2026. Source: theguardian.com