CNI News

1 August 2025

The upcoming elections in Myanmar are dangerous, Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) Chairman Sai Htay Aung told CNI News. 

The Union Election Commission (UEC) has announced that elections will be held in 267 townships in Myanmar between December 2025 and January 2026.

Political parties with strong public support, such as the National League for Democracy (NLD), the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), and the Arakan National Party (ANP), are not competing in the election. The upcoming election is very dangerous because the NLD is not included in the parties that will run the election, said the TNDP Chairman Sai Htay Aung.
 
"It's good that there is a law to protect elections. Election is politics without weapons. It's politics where parties say what they will do and then make promises and then act. If terrorist acts and killing with weapons emerge, then action will be taken against the culprits under this law. That's pretty good. The NLD was dissolved when it was not re-registered. The NLD is not contesting this year's election. The election we are going through is really very dangerous," he said.

Picture: While seeing the Election Protection Law

Some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the People's Defense Forces (PDF), the National Unity Government (NUG), and the Spring Revolution forces have announced that they will completely sabotage the elections scheduled to be held in December 2025 and January 2026. 

The SAC then issued the Law on the Protection of Multi-Party Democratic General Elections from Disruption and Sabotage on July 29, 2025.

The law stipulates that anyone who commits any crime such as disrupting, destroying, or causing death during an election can be sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, or even the death penalty.

CNI News

1 August 2025

The National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) meeting that was held on July 31, 2025, decided to lift the state of emergency that had been declared throughout Myanmar.

Myanmar was declared a state of emergency on February 1, 2021, by Order No. 1/2021, and was ruled by the Commander-in-Chief of the  Defence Sevices, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Then, the NDSC held a meeting and announced on July 31, 2025 that the transfer of state power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces had been revoked. General Zaw Min Tun announced that the state of emergency will be lifted today (July 31, 2025), as the tasks included in the declaration of the state of emergency have been completed and an election is needed to transition the country to a multi-party democracy.

"After the declaration of the revocation of this state of emergency in accordance with Article 426 of the Constitution (2008), all three powers will be exercised by the National Defense and Security Council in accordance with Article 427(a)," he said.

Elections in Myanmar will be held in December 2025 and January 2026. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that state power will be transferred to the political party that wins the election.

CNI News
31 July 2025

After the State Administration Council was dissolved, in the new formations that were made by the National Defense and Security Council, generals who were sent to civilian roles could be found in the statements. The generals are (1) U Nyo Saw, (2) U Tin Aung San, (3) U Mya Tun Oo and (4) U Aung Lin Dwe.

U Nyo Saw will serve as the Union Government's Prime Minister and Minister for National Planning, while U Tin Aung San will serve as Minister of the Presidential Office (1). U Mya Htun Oo will take over as the Union Government's Minister of Transport and Communications, while U Aung Lin Dwe will take over as the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the National Defense and Security Council.

CNI News
31 July 31

The meeting of the National Defense and Security Council announced the formation of the State Security and Peace Commission, headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on July 31, 2025.

CNI News
31 July 2025

The meeting of the National Defense and Security Council announced on July 31, 2025, that General Nyo Saw has been appointed as the Prime Minister of the country after the Union Government was reorganized.

It is reported that General Nyo Saw was retired from the military and has been appointed as Prime Minister as the civilian responsibility.

The newly formed Union Government includes U Nyo Saw, U Tin Aung San, Ko Ko Hlaing, U Maung Maung Tin, U Tun Ohn, U Mya Tun Oo, General Maung Maung Aye, Dr. Kan Zaw, U Than Swe, Lt. Gen. Tun Tun Naung, Lt. Gen. Yar Pyae, Dr. War War Maung, Dr. Thida Oo, U Maung Maung Ohn, U Tin Oo Lwin, U Min Naung and U Hla Moe.

In addition, U Khin Maung Yi, U Nyan Tun, U Ko Ko Lwin, Dr. Charlie Than, U Myint Kyaing, U Aung Kyaw Hoe, U Chit Swe, Dr. Myo Thein Kyaw, Dr. Thet Khaing Win, Jeng Phang Naw Taung, U Myo Thant, Dr. Soe Win, and U Nay Lin also are included in the government.

CNI News
31 July 2025

The National Defense and Security Council announced on July 31, 2025, that it has revoked Presidential Decree No. 1/2021 dated February 1, 2021, which delegated state power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.

The NDSC received a report on July 31, 2025 from the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces stating that he had completed the tasks assigned to him in the matter of the declaration of a state of emergency and the transfer of state power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces under Articles 417 and 418 of the Constitution.

So, the NDSC has revoked the Presidential Decree No. 1/2021 dated February 1, 2021, which transferred state power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.

CNI News
31 July 2025

The National Defense and Security Council announced on July 31, 2025, that it has appointed U Aung Lin Dwe as the Chief Executive Officer of the NDSC Office and General Ye Win Oo as the Joint Chief Executive Officer.

CNI News

31 July 2025

It would abstain from carrying out political and military issues for the sake of one organization or one race, announced the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP/SSA) on July 28, 2025. 

After the first six month meeting of the Central Committee of the SSPP/SSA in Wanghai, headquarters of the SSPP/SSA, was held from July 23 to July 28 and released the above-mentioned announcement. 

The SSPP/SSA said that it would make an attempt to maintain the peaceful co-existence policy with mutual-respect, mutual recognition and mutual assistance.

“Whether politically or militarily, we will not pursue a policy that works for one group, one race, or one region, but only through actions that encompass all races and all regions, will we be able to live together in the long term,” he said.

While seeing the statement released by the SSPP

Then, regarding regional development and poverty eradication, the SSPP announced that it will work hard to improve the lives of the people who have suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, civil war, and natural disasters.

The SSPP/SSA is a Shan armed group based mainly in northern Shan State and is a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

Currently, there are military clashes between the SSPP and the TNLA over territorial disputes.

CNI News

30 July 2025

If elections held by the SAC were held in a single PR system, it would not be transparent to the public, so the public would need to believe parties, Chairman of the Tai Leng Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) Sai Htay Aung told CNI News.

Although the SAC has said that elections will be held with both FPTP and PR systems, it is reported that the PR system only will be used. If the entire election was held with the PR system alone, it would not be possible, said the TNDP Chairman Sai Htay Aung.

" Every system has its advantage and disadvantage. The PR system or the closed list system that will be used in Myanmar is a system where the public has to vote for parties. Parties have to submit their candidates to the Union Election Commission. If they are eligible, they have to serve. It is not transparent to the public. So, the public needs to believe parties. Its advantage is that parties can manage or control their representatives. If a representative doesn't work for the sake of the people, his party can dismiss him. But in the FPTP system, it's not easy for a party to dismiss its representative." he said.

While the SAC Chairman was meeting with political parties

Although the election law has not come out, there are different opinions regarding the electoral system among political parties. 

In the FPTP system, the candidate who gets the most votes in a constituency is elected a representative. But in the PR system, political parties and independents can become representatives proportionally depending on the votes they get.

According to the current situation, as it is worrying for the candidates, the People's Pioneer Party (PPP) wanted the PR system on behalf of all parties, said the PPP Chairperson Dr. Thet Thet Khine on the party's press conference on July 28, 2025.

“Now there are two types of political parties. There are parties that will compete throughout the Union, and then there are parties that will register in one or more regions and states and then compete. These types of parties also have more opportunities. Smaller parties will be able to run the elections and they can win seats. Then the Hluttaw will be more colourful. If representatives from all parties come to the Hluttaw and the Hluttaw will be more diverse. This is a strong point. Due to the PR system, political parties have become interested in politics. It will have already protected the candidates and each citizen from their danger." she said.

While showing the Map of Myanmar and Justice of members of the Hluttaw

In the PR system, the people are not allowed to know who the candidates are and they have to vote for parties. According to the PR system, representatives are elected by their parties, not by the people. 

So, it is not clear that representatives elected by parties get on well with the people. Political analysts have pointed out that the selection of the Hluttaw representatives could be influenced by factions within the party, and that corruption could arise rather than the public interest.

Elections will be held in 267 townships in Myanmar, but all regions and states will be divided into phases and elections will be held according to a priority plan, except for areas where there are restrictions due to geographical conditions, said the UEC to CNI News.