The military council ruling Burma has announced today, Thursday, the end of the state of emergency that has been in place since 2021, paving the way for general elections scheduled for December, despite calls for a boycott by the opposition and skepticism from international entities regarding their integrity.
The council’s spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, stated in a voice message to journalists that the decision is part of preparations for the electoral process within the framework of a transition to a “multi-party democracy.”
The military had imposed the state of emergency following the coup that ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a prolonged civil conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.
The decision grants General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military council, full powers over the executive, legislative, and judicial authorities, before he later announced his support for organizing elections as a solution to the political crisis.
In contrast, opposition forces, including former parliamentarians ousted after the coup, have announced their boycott of the electoral process, which a UN official described last June as “a ruse aimed at legitimizing the continuation of military rule.”
