Myanmar concluded the first phase of its general election on Sunday, marking the country’s first nationwide vote since the 2021 military coup. According to Eleven Myanmar, polling took place across 102 cities, with voting beginning at 6 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. local time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 139 representatives from diplomatic missions and international election observers monitored the process. The second and third phases are scheduled for January 11 and January 25, respectively, with a total of 21,517 polling stations established nationwide. The election comes under the shadow of prolonged military rule following the ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) government in 2021. Although the NLD and 40 other parties were dissolved in 2023, at least six parties with 4,963 candidates are participating, alongside 57 regional parties. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party has fielded about 1,018 candidates. Junta leader and acting president Min Aung Hlaing claimed the election was free and fair after casting his vote in Naypyidaw. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews urged the international community via social media to reject the legitimacy of the election.