There has been no advance campaigning or excitement surrounding the general election in Myanmar, which begins on Sunday. According to the general public, this time’s picture is completely different from previous elections. The protracted civil war, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and the military junta’s attempt to prolong its power are being criticized as a ‘farce’.

Local residents said that the festive atmosphere and enthusiasm that was seen in previous elections are absent this time. According to analysts and rights activists, the vote has been organized mainly to legitimize the power of the junta government.

This is the first election since the military coup in 2021. However, most of the powerful parties, including the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), have been excluded from the election. The international community and human rights organizations have been describing the election as a ‘staged drama’.

On the one hand, there is a severe shortage of food and relief in conflict-affected areas, and on the other hand, there is extreme fear among ordinary voters due to the fear of arrest and repression. Many citizens believe that this election is nothing more than a means to prolong the power of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Disappointed citizens

Myanmar has been going through extreme chaos across the country since the military coup in 2021. At that time, the army overthrew the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta government seized power in the 2020 general election, accusing it of fraud, but pushed the country towards a terrible civil war.

Although the junta government claims that there is public support for the election, the United Nations, Western countries and various human rights organizations have strongly rejected it. Residents of Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, are disappointed with the atmosphere of this election. Voting will be held in several parts of the city today. Three Yangon residents told the media that during previous elections, the city was abuzz with campaigning. There were processions, colorful road shows and large public gatherings, creating a festive atmosphere. But this time, the scene was completely subdued.

“This time, we didn’t see the candidates on the streets like that. We only saw some of their signboards or posters hanging on the side of the road,” said a 31-year-old Yangon resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons.

The scene was completely different a decade ago. When the second general election was held in 2011 after five decades of military rule, the streets were draped in the red flags of Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). The election atmosphere was festive at that time. Even in the 2020 election, campaigning was limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, but people were still active.

The scene in Mandalay, about 600 kilometers north of Yangon, is similar. There was no sign of campaigning before the vote. Nuay, a 36-year-old resident, said there was no activity other than putting up a few billboards in the name of campaigning. Even the small public gatherings that were taking place were closely guarded. However, the campaigning of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is backed by Myanmar’s military, was somewhat visible.

Elections in a climate of fear

The United Nations expressed deep concern on Tuesday about Myanmar’s upcoming elections. The organization said that ordinary people were being threatened by both the junta government and the armed groups opposing them to vote or not. “The elections are going to be held amidst violence and extreme repression,” said UN human rights chief Falk Turk.

The National Unity Government (NUG), the shadow government of Myanmar’s NLD members and an anti-junta alliance, said it was not putting pressure on ordinary people to boycott the vote.

The junta government claims that the election is not being held through any form of force or repression. An article in the country’s state-run media outlet Global New Light of Myanmar on Thursday said that it would be wrong to judge the election by Western standards.