Myanmar’s military rulers say polls were free and fair as UN reports 170 killed in air attacks during election period.

Myanmar’s military-backed party secured a sweeping victory in the country’s three-phase general election, according to state media, following the tightly controlled voting held amid civil war and widespread repression.

The final of three rounds of voting last weekend wrapped up an election that began on December 28, more than four years after the military seized power in a coup that overturned the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Dominating all phases of the vote, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won an overwhelming majority in Myanmar’s two legislative chambers, state media reports.

The USDP secured 232 of the 263 seats up for grabs in the lower house and 109 of the 157 seats announced so far in the upper chamber, according to results released on Thursday and Friday.

A spokesman for the country’s military rulers, Zaw Min Tun, said Myanmar’s parliament is now expected to convene to elect a president in March, with a new government set to take over in April, according to a report in the pro-military Eleven Media Group.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been in political turmoil since the 2021 coup, with the crushing of pro-democracy protests prompting a nationwide rebellion. Thousands have been killed, and about 3.6 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations.

‘Vote purely out of fear’

The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has said it will not endorse Myanmar’s electoral process, and human rights groups and some Western countries have also expressed concerns about the credibility of the election.

The UN human rights office said that large segments of the population, including minorities such as ethnic Muslim-majority Rohingya, were excluded from voting since they have been denied citizenship, and many have also been displaced outside the country.

At least 170 civilians were killed in air strikes during the election period, and about 400 people were arrested, according to the UN.

“Many people chose either to vote or not to vote purely out of fear,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.

Myanmar’s military rulers insist the polls were free and fair, and supported by the public.

A spokesperson for the United States Department of State, which has muted its critiques of foreign elections in the second Trump administration, said it was monitoring the situation and “will assess the military regime’s next steps”.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was dissolved along with dozens of other parties, and some others declined to take part, drawing condemnation from critics who say the process was designed to legitimise military rule.

Under Myanmar’s political system, the military is also guaranteed 25 percent of parliamentary seats, ensuring continued control even if power is formally transferred to a civilian-led administration.