Myanmar’s military junta has officially terminated the nationwide state of emergency, a significant move widely seen as accelerating preparations for a contentious December election.
This emergency declaration, imposed in February 2021 following the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government, had granted supreme power over all branches of government to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
The coup plunged the Southeast Asian nation into a multifaceted civil conflict, leading to widespread displacement and claiming thousands of lives amidst ongoing resistance.
Despite the ongoing conflict and internal dissent, Min Aung Hlaing has publicly positioned the upcoming elections as a potential path to de-escalation and a return to multi-party democracy.
However, numerous opposition factions, including elected officials deposed during the coup, have firmly vowed to boycott the poll, which a United Nations expert recently dismissed as a mere “fraud” intended to cement military rule.
A junta spokesman confirmed the abolition of the state of emergency, framing it as an essential step toward holding democratic elections, while Min Aung Hlaing himself remarked on completing a “first chapter” in the country’s political trajectory.
Concerns persist regarding the election’s legitimacy and logistics, particularly highlighted by a recent census conducted in preparation for the poll, which reportedly failed to gather data from a substantial portion of Myanmar’s population.
Political analysts closely observing the situation anticipate that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will likely maintain a key leadership position post-election, potentially as either president or armed forces chief, regardless of the official outcome.
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