Myanmar’s ruling military junta announced the end of the state of emergency imposed after the February 2021 coup and formally launched the process toward holding national elections within the next six months, a move widely dismissed as illegitimate by opposition forces and international observers.

In a series of official statements, the regime confirmed the termination of emergency rule, which had granted the armed forces full executive and legislative powers for the past 54 months.

The junta also dissolved the State Administration Council, the body that symbolized direct military rule, and replaced it with a new transitional authority led by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Min Aung Hlaing, acting prime minister and army chief, stated that the vote could take place in December, without specifying an exact date. The announcement was carried by The New Global Light of Myanmar, a state-controlled newspaper since the coup.

“There is still a long road ahead for the country. What we have achieved so far is only the beginning of a second chapter,” Min Aung Hlaing said during a ceremony in Naypyidaw.

His remarks, however, stand in stark contrast to the ongoing violence and territorial fragmentation gripping the country.

Board decisions and upcoming elections

At the same time, the junta enacted new legislation imposing severe penalties on anyone accused of obstructing the electoral process. 

The laws include lengthy prison sentences and even the death penalty in cases involving fatalities linked to actions deemed to undermine the vote.

Lifting the state of emergency was a legal prerequisite for organizing elections, but the political and security context raises serious doubts about their credibility. 

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has been engulfed in a multifaceted civil conflict involving ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces fighting the military for territorial control.

The National Unity Government (NUG), formed by ousted lawmakers and operating largely underground, labeled the planned elections a “sham.”

 According to the opposition, the military aims to entrench its rule through a tightly controlled electoral process devoid of democratic guarantees.

Despite repeated calls by the junta for talks with armed groups, often with Chinese mediation, most resistance factions have rejected negotiations that do not include a full end to military dominance.