Myanmar junta ends state of emergency as it prepares for elections ::: But critics dismiss these as 'fraud'

 Myanmar junta ends state of emergency as it prepares for elections

The military on Thursday nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of a planned election.

The junta chief remains in charge of the war-torn country in his other role as acting president.

Opposition groups have vowed to snub poll that has been dismissed as ‘a fraud’ designed to legitimise military’s rule  

The junta has began offering cash rewards to those willing to lay down their arms and “return to the legal fold” in the run-up to the vote.

Not many people seemed are impressed. A UN expert in June dismissed the military's scheme of things as “a fraud” designed to legitimise the military’s continuing rule.

Martial law declared in 9 areas due to violence risk

Coup leader remains acting president, military chief

Election expected to be dominated by proxies of military

Myanmar’s junta has announced ending the country’s state of emergency.

It has also stepped up preparations for a possible December election that is being boycotted by opposition groups and criticised by international monitors.

Reports say while no date for the poll has been announced by the military junta, but political parties are being registered.

They have also started training sessions on electronic voting machines have taken place.

The military declared a state of emergency in February 2021 as it deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The result was chaos in India's eastern border. This triggered a many-sided civil war that has claimed thousands of lives.

A large number of people have moved out of the country including to India and a few south east Asian nations.

The new order now gives the junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, supreme power over the legislature, executive and judiciary – but he has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict.

Opposition groups including former lawmakers ousted in the coup have vowed to snub the poll.  

On Wednesday, the military government said it enacted a law dictating prison sentences of up to 10 years for speech or protests aiming to “destroy a part of the electoral process”.

A census held last year as preparation for the election estimated it failed to collect data from 19 million of the country’s 51 million people, provisional results said. The results cited “significant security constraints” as one reason for the shortfall – indicating how limited the reach of the election may be amid the civil war.

Analysts have predicted rebels will stage offensives around the election as a sign of their opposition.

Analysts predict Min Aung Hlaing will keep a role as either president or armed forces chief after the election and consolidate power, thereby extending his tenure as de facto ruler.

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