Myanmar Plans Byelections in April Covering Past No-Vote Zones

Myanmar will hold byelections on April 4, 2027, according to an announcement by the polling commission on Friday. The upcoming vote will cover 39 constituencies across the upper and lower houses of Parliament. One-third of these constituencies are places where voting was previously called off due to security reasons during past polls. Some of these scheduled votes are in areas where fighting continues, including the Sagaing, Mandalay, and Chin regions. The remaining two-thirds of the constituencies will fill seats left vacant by lawmakers who moved to senior government roles.

Background

Myanmar has been dealing with a civil war since the military removed the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. The Union Election Commission stated this move shows the military feels more confident about controlling territory after claiming recent advances in its offensives. Past elections held last December and January faced restrictions and were blocked in areas controlled by rebels who opposed military rule. Parliament is currently dominated by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, while Suu Kyi's party was dissolved and she remains detained. The conflict monitor ACLED estimates that the ongoing civil war has caused over 100,000 deaths.