CNI News

15 March 2025

Whether elections could be held in December, 2025 or in January, 2026 that the SAC Chairman Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing mentioned is being questioned by military and political analysts. 

The SAC Chairman expressed the period when elections would be held and because he used the phrase 'at the earliest' in what he said, they are questioning if there might be 'at the latest', U Khun Sai, a person who is taking part in the peace process, told CNI News.

" We have to consider first what the SAC Chairman expressed. He said that a plan had been made that elections would be held in December, 2025 or in January, 2026 at the earliest. Here, what does he mean 'at the earliest'. If so, might there be 'at the latest'?  According to Section.421 (B) of the 2008 constitution, it is questioned whether the state of emergency could be extended every six months. The SAC Chairman can only answer that question. According to the 2008 constitution, he can always extend the tenure. But it doesn't seem like the SAC chairman has any intention of extending his term indefinitely." he said.

While seeing leaders of some political parties and the SAC Chairman

Because the SAC Chairman expressed the exact period when elections would be held, if the current six month tenure expired, the SAC could change into a kind of force for elections, considered military and political analysts. 

China would cooperate with the SAC so that elections could be held in Myanmar, said the Special Envoy of the Chinese Foreign Ministry during his meeting with the SAC Chairman on 11 March 2025.

However, although the SAC Chairman said that elections would be held in August, 2023, because he didn't plan to hold elections, there are considerations whether elections could be held or not this time.

" Whether the state of emergency is extended or not doesn't make any difference. They say they can extend the tenure under the 2008 constitution when the country is unstable. In fact, the SAC Chairman is Acting President and Prime Minister. It's obvious that he alone extends the tenure." said U Myo Kyaw from the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) to CNI News.

While seeing the SAC Chairman and the Belarusian President Lukashenko

Moreover, a multi-party democratic general election would be held without fail and for that, cooperation only was needed without contrary acts; if the election could be held, Myanmar would be successful certainly, said the SAC chairman when he returned from goodwill trips to Russia and Belarus.

Because of armed conflicts taking place throughout the country, the SAC has lost control of several hundred military camps and two military commands as well as over 90 townships.
Meanwhile, everyone is questioning how elections would be held.