Myanmar Legislature Reconvenes After 5 Years with Military Holding Power

Myanmar's parliament convened Monday for the first time since 2019, following elections that excluded major opposition groups. The military and its allies control nearly 90% of legislative seats, cementing their grip on power after the 2021 coup.

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — For the first time in over five years, Myanmar’s legislature convened Monday following recent elections that excluded key opposition groups, solidifying the military’s control over the government.

Myanmar’s military prevented the previous parliament from meeting after overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected administration in February 2021, ruling without legislative oversight ever since. Military leaders have promoted the December and January elections as progress toward restoring democratic governance.

Yet the military and allied parties secured approximately 90% of parliamentary positions across both chambers, as Myanmar’s former governing National League for Democracy and other significant opposition movements were either barred from participation or boycotted what they considered rigged conditions.

Lawmakers dressed in ceremonial clothing gathered in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital, Monday as the 373-member lower chamber began its session within the heavily protected legislative facility, recently rebuilt following severe earthquake damage last year.

Armed forces cordoned off routes to the parliament building, with all vehicles undergoing explosive device inspections before entry.

The 213-member upper chamber will begin proceedings Wednesday, followed by 14 regional assemblies starting Friday.

Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution automatically allocates one-fourth of the combined 586 upper and lower house positions — totaling 166 seats — to armed forces representatives, while the military-supported Union Solidarity and Development Party captured 339 additional seats. Twenty-one smaller parties divided the remaining one to 20 seats among themselves.

The legislative session follows staggered voting conducted during December and January across 263 of Myanmar’s 330 townships.

Opponents characterized the military-organized elections as an attempt to validate their authority. The 2021 takeover sparked widespread resistance that plunged Myanmar into ongoing civil conflict.

Tom Andrews, a special rapporteur working with the U.N. human rights office, has urged the international community to reject the election results and any power arrangements that follow.

The newly formed legislature’s initial responsibility involves selecting speakers for both chambers, followed by choosing a president and two vice presidents.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who currently leads the military administration, is anticipated to assume the presidential role.

Nevertheless, constitutional provisions prohibit a president from simultaneously serving as the military’s commander-in-chief — Myanmar’s most influential position — creating uncertainty about whether he would surrender that authority.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as spurious and politically motivated. Her party won landslide victories in the 2015 and 2020 elections, but was forced to dissolve in 2023 after refusing to register under new military rules.

An opposition shadow parliament, formed by elected lawmakers who were blocked from taking their seats when the military seized power in 2021, also held an online session on Monday.

The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw claims it is the country’s sole legitimate parliament.