Myanmar junta lifts emergency rule, calls for December vote
Myanmar junta lifts emergency rule, calls for December vote
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/48943536
Myanmar’s military leadership lifted a state of emergency more than four years after it took power in a coup, a necessary step for holding elections slated to be held later this year.
So is this pure desperation because they're losing the war, or did one of their partners request it?
The military's ambition was always to legitimize their rule through an election system that's rigged in their favor - the constitution was written by them, the electoral system was set up by them. They won the first election in 2011, but to their surprise, lost to the NLD in 2016. They thought they would win in it in 2021 with an ultra-nationalist policy, but again lost to NLD so they staged the coup. This time they've banned most of the opposition parties, disqualified them from running and put them in jails, and made conditions that are almost impossible for others to participate in the election. And on top of that, I am sure they will cheat. This will legitimize their rule. They will seek recognition from other nations on the back of this election. China is pushing for elections too for whatever reason.
Yeah, but why now? Abandoning any pretence of democracy has been their thing for the last while.