Myanmar plans fresh election in Aug 2023: Junta chief

YANGON • Myanmar's military government is planning to hold a general election in August 2023, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying on state broadcaster MRTV on Thursday.

"Depending on state stability and peace, we are making our utmost effort to hold a multiparty general election in August 2023," the junta chief said at a meeting with heads and teachers at military universities in Yangon, according to the report.

The top general had earlier extended an initial timeline for the new election and on Thursday pledged to hold a free and fair election after lifting the state of emergency by August 2023.

The election body had annulled last year's poll results that Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide. Ms Suu Kyi has been detained since the generals staged a coup against her government on Feb 1.

On Thursday, General Min Aung Hlaing also urged the people of Myanmar to cooperate in the process of issuing national registration cards to those eligible to ensure citizens' right to vote. Only 25 per cent of the process has been completed so far, he said.

It is still unclear if the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state will be allowed to vote in the fresh election.

The general said the regime had tried to talk to political parties several times, but some of them did not come to meetings with junta-appointed election officials. Plans are under way to take action against those who did not act in accordance with the laws, he added.

Since the military toppled the civilian government in February, citing allegations of voter fraud - contrary to international observers' findings - nationwide protests have been met with a bloody crackdown, with more than 1,300 people killed and over 10,000 arrested, said a local monitoring group.

BLOOMBERG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE