AA-controlled 15 townships not included in third phase of election

Narinjara News, December 28, 2025

The list of townships for the third phase of the election, set to take place on January 25 of next year, has been released once more. Notably, all 15 townships have been omitted, excluding all those occupied and governed by the Arakan Army (AA).

The Election Commission previously declared that three townships in Rakhine State—Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung—were eligible to conduct elections. Conversely, 11 townships were deemed ineligible to hold elections: Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Myebon, Rambree, Mrauk-U, and Paletwa.

The four additional townships of Ann, Taungup, Thandwe, and Gwa, which are under the authority of the AA, had not been included in the Election Commission's previously published list of non-contestable towns, as if there would be elections in those four townships.