Myanmar military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (centre) visits a polling station during the final round of general election in Mandalay, central Myanmar, January 25, 2026
MYANMAR’S military-backed party emerged the winner of an election, final official figures showed on Wednesday.
This comes as the country’s army chief signed a law authorising a new consultative body that could allow him to retain influence without formally leading the new government.
According to final figures from the Union Election Commission, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won 339 of the total 586 seats in the national parliament.
Authorities claim that more than 13 million voters — about 54 per cent of the more than 24 million eligible — cast ballots in the election.
The announcement means that along with the military, which is automatically allocated 166 seats under the constitution, the two hold 505, which is about 86 per cent of the legislature.
Twenty-one other parties won between one and 20 seats each.
The victory of the USDP was widely expected after the vote excluded major opposition parties and sharply restricted dissent.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, is widely expected to assume the presidency when the new Parliament convenes.
Voting took place in three phases in December and January in 263 of the country’s 330 townships, leaving about one-fifth without voting because of fighting.
