Myanmar Military Completes Power Consolidation Through Sham Elections

739 seats out of 1,025. That's the overwhelming victory Myanmar's military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed in the country's recent elections, according to official results released yesterday by the Union Election Commission.

But don't expect any celebrations. The UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, dismissed the entire exercise as a "theatrical performance" designed to "dupe the international community."

A Script Written in Advance

The elections, held in three stages on December 28, January 11, and January 25, were widely anticipated to be a sham. The writing was on the wall when the Union Election Commission dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy—the party that won landslide victories in 2015 and 2020.

While 57 parties reportedly participated, the playing field was anything but level. State propaganda dominated the media landscape, and criticizing the electoral process became punishable under harsh new laws. Myanmar's citizens found themselves under "enormous pressure" to participate in what Andrews called an elaborate deception.

The results reflected this rigged reality. The USDP secured 739 seats, while the National Unity Party—successor to the Burma Socialist Programme Party that ruled under one-party dictatorship from 1962 to 1988—came a distant second with just 68 seats. The Shan and Nationalities Democratic Party managed 39 seats, with remaining positions scattered among ethnic parties operating in specific regions.

Engineering Perpetual Control

Junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing wasn't content with just electoral victory. On Tuesday, he rushed through legislation creating the Union Consultative Council—a new five-member body with what Reuters describes as "exceptionally broad" powers over "every critical component of national security and the legislative process."

This isn't just bureaucratic reshuffling. The Council, appointed by the president and tied to the president's five-year term, appears designed to ensure Min Aung Hlaing retains authority regardless of his official title. The Irrawaddy suggests this creates a chairman position that could allow him to maintain power even without the presidency.

Two lawyers told Reuters the arrangement could "potentially enable Min Aung Hlaing to become president while ensuring he retains full control over the military." It's a masterclass in institutional manipulation—creating civilian facades while preserving military dominance.

The Illusion of Resolution

Junta officials have tried to frame these elections as a path toward resolving the conflict that has raged since the February 2021 coup. The reality tells a different story. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) organization noted yesterday that "the polls have done nothing to bridge the divide between the military and the hundreds of resistance groups that oppose its rule."

Large swaths of the country didn't even participate in the elections, and the grievances fueling Myanmar's civil war remain unaddressed. ACLED predicts "a future of enduring instability and competing authorities across the nation"—hardly the resolution the military promised.

The human cost continues to mount. According to ACLED, at least 93,300 people have died in the five years since the coup. These aren't just statistics—they represent families destroyed, communities torn apart, and a nation's democratic aspirations crushed under military boots.

The International Community's Dilemma

Myanmar's neighbors face a complex calculus. The junta has successfully created the appearance of civilian governance while tightening military control. ASEAN and other regional powers feel pressure to normalize relations, but legitimizing these elections would essentially endorse democratic theater.

The military's strategy is sophisticated: provide just enough democratic window dressing to give international partners plausible deniability while ensuring no real power sharing occurs. It's authoritarianism with a democratic mask—and it puts the international community in an uncomfortable position.

For Myanmar's people, caught between a military that refuses to relinquish power and a world that struggles to respond effectively, the future remains uncertain. The resistance continues in areas beyond military control, but the path to genuine democracy seems longer than ever.

The Broader Pattern

Myanmar's situation reflects a troubling global trend: the weaponization of democratic institutions by authoritarian forces. From Belarus to Venezuela, we've seen how elections can be manipulated to provide legitimacy without accountability, representation without real choice.

The challenge for democratic nations is distinguishing between genuine democratic progress and elaborate political theater. Myanmar's military has shown how effectively authoritarian regimes can exploit international desires for stability and engagement.