Polls close in first phase of Myanmar elections widely condemned as a sham

Polls have closed in conflict-racked Myanmar, ending the first phase of an election that has been widely condemned as a sham designed to legitimise the military junta’s rule.

The military has touted the vote as a return to democracy almost five years after it seized power in a coup, ousting the country’s then de-facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, detaining her and sparking a spiralling civil war.

But analysts say most candidates are seen as military allies, and the UN has said the vote is being conducted in an environment of “violence and repression”, with one official describing it as a “theatre of the absurd”.

The election is being carried out in three stages, with the second and third phases scheduled for January. Large areas of the country are excluded from the voting because they are under the control of anti-junta groups or in the grip of fierce fighting.

The Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP), a military proxy, is fielding the largest number of candidates and expected to emerge as the largest bloc.