Source : Reuters
YANGON, November 6, 2026 — Myanmar’s military-appointed Union Election Commission has scheduled by-elections for April 4, 2027, to fill dozens of vacant parliamentary seats, including in areas affected by the country’s civil war, state media and international agencies reported on Friday.
Reuters said the commission announced the polls for next April, citing state media. Myanmar International Television and local outlets reported that Announcement No. 68/2026, dated November 5 and signed by UEC chairman U Than Soe, covers 55 constituencies under the first-past-the-post system: 34 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house), five in the Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house) and 16 in region and state legislatures.
The Star, citing Bernama and Anadolu, reported the same April 4, 2027 date and seat breakdown, noting that some constituencies remain unstable. Eleven Media and CNI Myanmar likewise said conflict-affected townships are included in the list.
The by-elections follow a three-phase national election process that began in late December and delivered victory for pro-military parties, including the Union Solidarity and Development Party, according to Anadolu’s account carried by The Star. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who stepped down as armed forces commander-in-chief in March to run for the presidency, was elected president earlier this year under that process.
Opposition and exile groups have rejected the military’s electoral roadmap as lacking credibility while fighting continues between the junta and resistance forces. Independent monitors say large parts of the country remain outside stable government control, raising questions about how voting can be organised safely in those constituencies.
Reuters noted that the seats to be filled include areas impacted by the protracted conflict that has gripped Myanmar since the 2021 coup. Humanitarian agencies continue to report displacement, airstrikes and disrupted services across multiple states and regions.
The UEC has not published a full campaign calendar in the initial announcement beyond the polling date and constituency counts. Political parties aligned with the military are expected to contest most seats; whether any opposition groups still inside the country will take part remains unclear.
Regional governments and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have repeatedly urged an inclusive political dialogue. Diplomats said the April by-elections will be watched closely as a test of whether Naypyidaw can expand the parliament’s coverage without a ceasefire.
No United Nations or Western election-observation mission was announced alongside the UEC statement. Rights groups are likely to focus on access for journalists, the security of voters and whether results from conflict zones can be independently verified.
Inside Myanmar, state television presented the by-election date as a routine step to complete representation in the new assemblies. Outside the country, elected lawmakers from the ousted National League for Democracy and the shadow National Unity Government argue that no poll held under military rules can be free or fair while political prisoners remain jailed and fighting continues. Those competing narratives will shape how ASEAN and Western capitals respond as April 2027 approaches.
Source: Reuters on X, with background from Myanmar International TV, The Star (Bernama-Anadolu), CNI Myanmar and CGTN.
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