A ceremony to make a welcome address by the Chairman of the Union Election Commission and a briefing session for international election observers were held at the Jasmine Nay Pyi Taw hotel yesterday.
It was attended by Union Election Commission Chairman U Than Soe, commission member U Myo Hlaing, deputy ministers, international election observers from Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nicaragua, India, and Myanmar-Japan Assosiation.
Speaking at the event, the UEC Chairman said Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, paid working visits to China, Russia and Kazakhstan and met with the leaders of these countries. During the meeting, the Senior General received constructive support for the successful holding of the election, and he also engaged in broad discussions regarding the participation of international election observation missions.
The UEC Chairman also added that the presence at the event today as international observers reflects the international community’s support for Myanmar’s commitment to hold the elections in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner. It is also a time for the voters to apply their fundamental right to vote and to help determine the future path of the nation.
He then briefed the event with three parts, saying the first part was the electoral system. he added that since the adoption of the 2008 Constitution, Myanmar held three general elections and three interim elections with First Past the Post (FPTP System) for three Hluttaws. But now, the FPTP system will be adopted for Pyithu Hluttaw, while the Mixed Member Proportional System (MMP) for Amyotha Hluttaw and Region or State Hluttaw.
The MMP system combines two different electoral methods- FPTP and Proportional Representation (PR). Under an FPTP system, the majority of seats tend to go to the largest parties with the most votes. By integrating PR, smaller parties will also receive seats proportional to their vote share, allowing them to be represented in the Hluttaw.
In other words, the good points of FPTP and the benefits of PR will be received.
The second point is the voting system. In this election, except for advance voting, polling stations will use the Myanmar Electronic Voting Machine (MEVM). The Myanmar experts developed the MEVMs to be suitable for the country after studying international voting technologies. Using MEVMs offers several benefits, such as saving voting time, elimination of invalid ballots, and faster result announcements, and there would be no voting fraud. The machines are designed to prevent tampering, and they are also safe as they contain no USB ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or internet connectivity.
Braille-enabled MEVM has been developed to allow visually impaired voters to cast their ballots in secrecy. Voters with physical, visual, or hearing impairments may vote independently or with the assistance of a person of their choosing. The MEVM has been certified by the Myanmar National Standards Council for its quality and compliance.
He continued that the third point is holding elections in phases. In previous elections, the election day was designated as a nationwide public holiday, and the election was held across the country on that one day. For this upcoming election, to carry out the security and management activities effectively, the election will be conducted in three phases- Phase I with 102 townships on 28 December 2025, Phase II with 100 townships on 11 January 2026 and Phase III with 63 townships on 25 January 2026.
The commission systematically worked with the Ministry of Immigration and Population and the General Administrative Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the perfect and accurate voter lists. The local experts developed the Central Voter List Management System (CVLMS) and Admin, as well as DEO Software, to prevent duplication of voters. The voter lists are also displayed three times. In order to ensure the participation of all citizens, awareness-raising activities were carried out for first-time young voters, temporarily displaced persons, and persons with disabilities, and amendments and supplementary measures were made to election-related laws, rules, and procedures.
He added that for the upcoming election, there are 57 political parties and 4,863 candidates will compete in it. The equal campaigning rights were granted to all political parties and Hluttaw candidates in accordance with the relevant laws and rules. There are a total of 21,517 polling stations across the nation, and each polling station is staffed with systematically trained polling officers and members. Arrangements have been made at polling stations to ensure that voters can cast their votes freely, transparently, conveniently, and with ease. To ensure the safety and security of voters, candidates, and election officials, the relevant ministries responsible for security are carrying out necessary measures to maintain protection and prevent risks. The government has also enacted a Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic General Elections from Obstruction, Disruption, and Destruction, prescribing effective offences and penalties, and has taken measures to ensure the security of all participants in the election process.
He then expressed gratitude to the attendees and observers, and the UEC officials demonstrated the use of MEVMs.
In the evening, the international election observers visited Maravijaya Buddha Image, Uppatasanti Pagoda and Maniyadana Jade Hall.
MNA/KTZH
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