Final phase of Myanmar's election underway, military-backed party set to win

Polling stations in Myanmar opened on Sunday (Jan 25) for the final round of a general election in the war-torn country, with a military-backed party set to win and the junta chief expected to take on a political role after the widely criticised election.

The previous two phases of the election - held on Dec 28 and Jan 11 - have been marked by low voter turnout of around 55 per cent, well below the turnout of about 70 per cent recorded in Myanmar's 2020 and 2015 general elections.

Voters in 60 townships will cast their ballots, including in the major cities of Yangon and Mandalay, amid a civil war triggered by a coup that brought the military to power.

⁠The ‍United Nations, rights groups and the UK have denounced the polls as a sham exercise to perpetuate the military's hold.