Myanmar’s military rulers said the polls were free and fair, and the United Nations reported that 170 people were killed in air strikes during the election.

Myanmar’s military-backed parties have won a landslide victory in the country’s three-phase general election after a tightly controlled vote held amid civil war and widespread repression, state media reported.

The final is three rounds of voting Last weekend concluded elections that began on December 28, more than four years after the military seized power in a coup that overthrew the democratically elected government. Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) dominated all stages of the vote, winning overwhelming majorities in Myanmar’s two legislative chambers, state media reported.

According to results released on Thursday and Friday, the USDP secured 232 of the 263 seats up for grabs in the House of Representatives and 109 of the 157 seats in the Upper House announced so far.

Myanmar’s parliament is expected to meet in March to elect a president and a new government will take over in April, Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the country’s military rulers, said, according to the pro-military Eleven Media Group.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been in political turmoil since a 2021 coup, with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests sparking a nationwide insurgency. Thousands of people have been killed and about 3.6 million displaced, according to the United Nations.

‘Voting purely out of fear’

The 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stated that Will not support Myanmar’s electoral processHuman rights groups and some Western countries have also expressed concerns about the credibility of the election.

The United Nations Human Rights Office states that a large proportion of the population, including ethnic minorities, e.g. Muslim-majority Rohingyamany were also displaced abroad as they were excluded from voting due to being stripped of their citizenship.

According to the United Nations, at least 170 civilians were killed in air strikes during the election and about 400 were arrested.

“Many people choose to vote or not vote out of sheer fear,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.

Myanmar’s military rulers insist the polls are free and fair and have public support.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department has been silent on foreign elections in Trump’s second administration, saying it is closely monitoring developments and “will evaluate the military regime’s next steps.”

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was dissolved along with dozens of other parties that refused to participate, drawing condemnation from critics who said the process was aimed at legitimizing military rule.

Under Myanmar’s political system, the military is also guaranteed 25% of parliamentary seats, ensuring continued control even if power is formally transferred to a civilian-led government.