Myanmar initiated its 2025 multi-party democratic general election with the first phase conducted on Sunday, following a five-year Civil War period. The election is divided into three phases, with the second phase scheduled for January 11, 2026, and the third phase on January 25. A total of 692 constituencies across Myanmar will be covered in this election, with approximately 5,000 candidates from 57 political parties vying for seats in various legislative bodies.
The election will determine the elected members of the Union Parliament and State and Region Parliaments, leading to the formation of a new Union Government. The Union Election Commission has established 21,517 polling stations nationwide for the general election. Myanmar has introduced the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system and the Myanmar Electronic Voting Machine for this election, combining First-Past-the-Post and Proportional Representation methods.
Myanmar citizens residing abroad have already participated in advance voting at overseas embassies and consulates. International election observation teams have arrived in Myanmar to oversee the electoral process. The current general election follows the previous one held in November 2020. Notably, a total of 1,183 female parliamentary candidates are contesting in this election, reflecting an increase compared to previous years, attributed to the proportional representation system that has encouraged more women to engage in politics.
