CNI News
8 July 2025
The Myanmar Tatmadaw might be considering a gradual withdrawal from politics in Myanmar, but politicians need to avoid challenging the Myanmar Tatmadaw, U Myo Set Thwe, general secretary of the People's Pioneer Party (PPP), told CNI News.
There are considerations that politicians should be careful not to challenge the Myanmar Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar Tatmadaw tends to seize power whenever political problems in Myanmar become complicated.
Retaining power in 2021 by the Tatmadaw might be because of electoral fraud as well as because it was worried that the country's future prospects would worsen, said U Myo Set Thwe.
“According to the 2008 constitution, the Tatmadaw seems to intend to gradually withdraw from politics. The reason why the Tatmadaw is involved is because it is concerned about the security of the country and the dignity of the Tatmadaw. If you don't want it to happen like that, you need to avoid challenging the Tatmadaw. If politicians challenge the Tatmadaw, the Tatmadaw may maintain power even more. After building good relations between the Tatmadaw and political parties or civil society, we have to make the Tatmadaw retreat gradually from politics. What I mean is that you can't go and talk to the military like a thug. We will have to recognize the existence of the Tatmadaw and persuade it to gradually withdraw from politics. If we can do that, we hope that the Tatmadaw will gradually withdraw from politics," he said.
While seeing representatives from political parties
In Myanmar, the Tatmadaw ruled the country after forming a caretaker government since the U Nu government handed over power to the Tatmadaw in 1958, and then seized power for various reasons, once on March 2, 1962, once in September 1989, and once after the 1990 elections.
And the Tatmadaw overthrew the NLD government on the first of February, 2021, claiming that the NLD was attempting to form a government without solving the vote list dispute that took place in the 2020 general election after which it took power and has been ruling the country after announcing the state of emergency.
In order to prolong its power, the Tatmadaw tends to play a trick on the public by using words 'election' and 'peace talks' whenever it encounters difficulties, said a China-Myanmar affairs analyst, Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, told CNI News.
While the SAC Chairman was meeting with political parties
“We don’t regard such people as politicians. We don’t have any hope for the elections that the military will hold. The military deceives people with the words 'elections' and 'peace talks' whenever it finds it difficult. So-called politicians who talk about things that the military wants are not real politicians. They are trying to eat the leftovers from the military. They want to earn money from politics. I don't comment on what these people say, I don't care, and I don't recognize the election in any way. This military is trying to survive in this politics. They have enjoyed a taste of ruling this country. So, to survive this military dictatorship, this military is deceiving the people in various ways." she said.
The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, and power will be transferred to the winning political party.
Some political party leaders have pointed out that a stable transition can be achieved only if the election results of what the military accepts come out.
