CNI Interview
19 May 2025
SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026. On the other hand, political parties are facing difficulties in opening offices due to the widespread armed conflict.
CNI News contacted and questioned the Union Election Commission (UEC) regarding these circumstances.
Q. I would like to know if the exact date for the election has been set.
A: The Union Election Commission (UEC) has set a date for the election and will announce it in due course.
Q. The SAC chairman has said that the election will be held in December. I would like to know whether he will announce when the political parties can start their campaigning period.
A: After the election date is announced, the campaign period will be announced after the list of candidates for Hluttaw has been verified.
Q. Since Section 5(h) stipulates that a party competing nationwide must open offices in half of all townships (more than 100 townships) nationwide, I would like to know which of the parties currently that will compete nationwide have been able to open offices as per the law, and which parties have not yet been able to open offices?
While seeing political parties
A: Out of the 9 parties that will organize nationwide, 3 parties has been able to open a specified number of offices, and 6 parties must be able to open the specified number of offices at least 90 days before the election date in accordance with the political parties registration law by the date announced by the Commission in a notification.
Q. . Section 5(h) stipulates that a party contesting within a region or state must open party offices in 5 townships of that region or state. So, I would like to know which parties have been able to open offices as per the provisions of the law, and which parties have not yet been able to open offices.
A: Out of the 45 parties that will organize only within a region or state, 19 parties have been able to open a specified number of offices, and 26 parties must be able to open the specified number of offices at least 90 days before the election date, as stipulated in the Political Parties Registration Law, and within the date announced by the Commission in a notification.
Q. Out of the 7 townships in Kayah State, only 1 or 2 townships are under the control of the government and the rest are not yet governed. Therefore, a party that will contest in Kayah State is facing difficulties in opening offices in five townships. There are similar difficulties in Rakhine and Chin States. So, how is the UEC going to ease this situation?
A: Regarding the opening of party offices in regions and states with limited geographical conditions, we have reviewed the submissions of the relevant parties and temporarily allowed them to open party offices in townships with good security.
Q. If the UEC does not ease a difficult situation, will the parties that are only competing in states such as Kayah, Chin, and Rakhine states no longer be allowed to compete in the elections held by the SAC? Can the parties be considered dissolved?
A: The Union Election Commission has given the parties some relaxation of the rules.
