Myanmar to hold third phase of election voting on January 25, state media reports

Dec 26 (Reuters) – Myanmar will hold a third phase of voting for its general election on January 25, according to an announcement on state media on Friday, outlining a poll plan that comes amid a raging civil war in the Southeast Asian nation.

The first two phases of voting are set to take place on December 28 and January 11, covering a total of 202 townships out of a total of 330.

The third phase will be held in 63 townships, the ruling junta said in an announcement by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

Dates for the counting of votes and the announcement of election results have not yet been declared.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has previously acknowledged that the election will not be held nationwide, with the military continuing to fight an armed resistance that has strengthened since a 2021 coup.

Analysts say the military’s shift from the battlefield to the ballot box, aimed at establishing a stable administration, faces long odds, although the junta insists the exercise has popular support.

(Reporting by Shoon Naing; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by David Stanway)