Myanmar’s junta officially overturns outcome of 2020 election it didn’t like

A man receives his ballot on Nov. 8, 2020, at a polling station in Yangon’s Kawhmu Township. Photo: Coconuts
A man receives his ballot on Nov. 8, 2020, at a polling station in Yangon’s Kawhmu Township. Photo: Coconuts

The junta-controlled Union Election Commission announced via state media Monday that the results of the 2020 election had been annulled.

Eight months after the military’s proxy party placed a distant second, leading it to complain the election was rigged and ultimately seize power, the commission said today the outcome was cancelled as the vote was unlawful and unfair.

Thein Soe, commission chairman, said the cancellation was made because the Nov. 8 vote violated the Constitution, was inconsistent with the rules and regulations, and was not free or fair.

State media reports said investigations of township voter found more than 11.3 million fraudulent voters as well as lost and fake ballots.

Elections observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections, Carter Center, European Union and other groups deemed the election was credible.

The National League for Democracy, or NLD, was faulted for abusing its power as the ruling power to campaign, censoring the opposition and blocking stateless groups such as the Rohingya from voting.

The NLD said in late February, after the junta seized power and appointed a new election commission, that canceling the election results would be an insult to the entire electorate.

“Any illegal representation of the new commission is illegal because the Illegal Military Council has no authority to appoint an election commission,” the party said at the time.

More than 5,500 candidates representing 87 parties, including 260 individuals, ran in 1,117 constituencies. The NLD won more than 80% of seats in all three houses.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, quickly said it would not accept the results and called for a new election supervised by its military backers. The coup came several months later on Feb. 1.

Related
NLD coasting to victory and 2nd term for ASSK as votes counted
Military-backed party refuses to accept Myanmar election outcome, demands do-over

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