Myanmar Sets April Date For Parliamentary By-Elections
The vote will occur in 55 constituencies, including 34 lower house seats, despite ongoing armed conflicts in several regions.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Myanmar’s Union Election Commission announced on Friday that the nation will hold special elections on April 4 to fill parliamentary vacancies. The announcement, published in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper, designates 55 constituencies for the vote, which includes 34 seats in the lower house, five in the upper house, and 16 in regional and state parliaments.
This upcoming vote marks the first election since the January general election, a process widely criticized as a mechanism to solidify military control. The new ballots are intended to replace elected representatives who assumed ministerial or other government roles. Crucially, the scope of this election extends to areas that were unable to participate in the January vote due to active conflict.
Observers note that the by-elections are unlikely to alter the current balance of power in the national legislature. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) currently dominates the parliament following the January results, where it and its allies secured nearly 90% of parliamentary seats. However, the April vote may offer a clearer measure of public support for the parties competing in these specific districts.
The political context remains tense. Myanmar has faced turmoil since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021. Security forces suppressed initial peaceful protests with lethal force, leading many opponents of the junta to take up arms. This shift plunged large portions of the country into sustained conflict. Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who led the takeover, was sworn in as president in April.
The logistics of the April vote present distinct challenges. At least seven of the constituencies are located in towns the military recently recaptured from armed groups. Other voting locations fall within seven states and regions where armed conflicts are still ongoing. In the January election, fighting prevented voting in many areas, limiting participation to only 263 of the country’s 330 townships.
Major opposition groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s former National League for Democracy, were ordered to disband after refusing to participate in what they termed a sham process. The national parliament consists of 440 seats in the lower house and 224 in the upper house, with military appointees holding 25% of the seats in each chamber.
