CNI News
15 December 2025
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission, said that the survival of a multi-party democratic system is extremely important in order to build a Union based on democracy and federalism.
He made these remarks on December 10, 2025, at the graduation parade ceremony of the 26th intake of officer cadets at the Defence Services Medical University parade ground in Yangon.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that in building a Union founded on democracy and a federal system, it is important not to blindly copy the models of other countries, but instead to develop a form of democracy and federalism that is suitable for Myanmar’s own conditions.
He said:“Democracy is a system of governance chosen by the people. While it allows decisions to be made in accordance with the will of the majority, it is also necessary to give due consideration to the wishes of minorities.Federalism means sharing authority, power, and rights, and its essence lies in unity and harmony. In order to bring about a Union based on democracy and federalism, the survival of a multi-party democratic system is extremely important.”
He added that because elections are an indispensable process for the survival of a multi-party democratic system, the multi-party general election desired by the majority of the public will begin on December 28.
The Senior General explained that the upcoming election differs from previous elections in three key aspects. First, it combines the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system with a proportional representation (PR) system. Second, voting will be conducted using Myanmar Electronic Voting Machines (MEVM) with push-button operation. Third, the election will be held in phases depending on security conditions and administrative arrangements.
In Myanmar, Phase (1) of the election will be held on December 28, 2025; Phase (2) on January 11, 2026; and Phase (3) in the final week of January 2026.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also stated that state power will be transferred to the political party that wins the election, and that the Tatmadaw will thereafter focus solely on its duty of defending the nation.
