Myanmar’s military says over 50% of eligible voters cast ballots in the first phase of its staged election, a figure disputed by rights groups and diplomats.
YANGON: Myanmar’s military junta has claimed voter turnout in the first phase of its staged election exceeded 50%, a figure sharply lower than the last national poll it voided with a coup.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said 52% of the more than 11.6 million eligible voters cast ballots, amounting to over six million people.
“Even in democratic countries, they do not have more than 50% voter turnout,” he said in a recorded message.
The military, which seized power in a 2021 putsch, opened voting on Sunday for a phased month-long election it says will return power to the people.
The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party claimed an overwhelming victory in this first phase.
Rights advocates and Western diplomats have condemned the vote, citing a crackdown on dissent and a candidate list stacked with military allies.
International rights campaigners have dismissed the process as a sham intended to rebrand military rule.
The junta also accused rebels of launching attacks on polling sites and government buildings over the weekend.
The turnout rate in the 2020 election, won overwhelmingly by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, was around 70%.
Observers noted the absence of the droves of young people who queued in past elections.
Many have fled the war-ravaged country since the coup, while others inside Myanmar showed little eagerness to participate.
