Myanmar's junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing, conceded on Wednesday that the military administration cannot hold it planned general election across the entire country due to the ongoing civil war that has engulfed the nation since the 2021 coup.

In a speech broadcast on state television said Wednesday(October 15), Min Aung Hlaing made his first public admission of the government's limited control. "We can't hold the election everywhere 100 percent," he stated, adding that by-elections would be conducted in unstable regions after a new government is formed.

The announcement comes just days before a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and follows a recent meeting between the junta chief and Malaysia's foreign minister. The junta has invited ASEAN members to send observers for the election, which is scheduled to begin on December 28 and continue in phases. The regional bloc is expected to discuss the invitation during its upcoming meeting.

The election is widely viewed by critics and many Western countries as a sham designed to legitimize the military's power through proxy political parties. Dozens of anti-junta parties have been banned or have refused to participate. Strict new rules require parties to have at least 50,000 members and 100 million kyat (approximately $47,762) in funds, a threshold only six parties have met to contest nationwide.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected civilian government in February 2021. The coup triggered a widespread armed rebellion, with anti-junta forces now controlling significant swathes of territory.

The logistical challenges facing the administration are stark. A December census report revealed that the junta was only able to conduct a full, on-the-ground census to create voter lists in 145 of the country's 330 townships.The report placed Myanmar's total population at 51.3 million.

BOB Post