Myanmar's junta ended its state of emergency on Thursday, ramping up plans for a December election that opposition groups pledged to boycott and monitors said will be used to consolidate the military's power.
The military declared a state of emergency in February 2021 as it deposed the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a many-sided civil war which has claimed thousands of lives.
The order gave junta chief Min Aung Hlaing supreme power over the legislature, executive and judiciary – but he has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict.
China welcomes the move
China said it is ready to play a role in promoting peace in Myanmar following the military junta’s decision to lift the state of emergency.
The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said it welcomed efforts by all parties and factions in Myanmar to adopt constitutional and legal measures to resolve differences through political dialogue.
China also expressed willingness to help cool tensions and support peaceful talks aimed at stabilising the country.
‘Fraud’
Opposition groups, including ex-lawmakers ousted in the coup, have pledged to snub the poll, which a UN expert last month dismissed as "a fraud" designed to legitimise the military's continuing rule.
"The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy," military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a voice message shared with reporters.
"Elections will be held within six months," he added.
Analysts predict Min Aung Hlaing will keep a role as either president or armed forces chief following the election and consolidate power in that office.
A flurry of statements and orders announced that a new "Union Government" had been formed alongside a "National Security and Peace Commission" to oversee defence and the election process.
Both will be led by Min Aung Hlaing, who will remain acting president, according to orders he signed himself.
No date set
"We have already passed the first chapter," Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech in Naypyidaw, reported in state newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar on Thursday.
"Now, we are starting the second chapter," he told members of the military’s administration council at what the newspaper called an "honorary ceremony" for its members.
"The upcoming election will be held this December, and efforts will be made to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots," the newspaper reported, paraphrasing another part of his speech.
No exact date for the poll has been announced by the military, but political parties are being registered while training sessions on electronic voting machines have already taken place.
This month, the military began offering cash rewards to those willing to lay down their arms and "return to the legal fold" ahead of the vote.
