Myanmar holds final election round, military-backed party set to win
Myanmar held the third and final round of its controversial general election in January 2026, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) set to win a landslide victory amid an ongoing civil war. Critics and international observers argue the vote is neither free nor fair, saying it is designed to legitimise military rule after the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Early results show the USDP and the military together securing enough parliamentary seats to form a government, and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to become president. The election has been condemned as illegitimate by the United Nations and rejected by ASEAN, while rights groups report repression, low voter turnout, and continued violence and human rights abuses across the country.