Key facts
- The by-election will fill vacant seats in 55 constituencies on April 4, 2027, per state media.
- Several seats cover townships in Sagaing Region plus Chin and Shan states, where resistance forces are strong.
- Rakhine state, where the military fights the Arakan Army, is not included in the by-election.
- The USDP currently controls 84% of the bicameral parliament, per state media.
- The UN and many Western countries criticized the earlier general election as a sham.
- An estimated 100,000 people have been killed and more than 3.5 million displaced since the 2021 coup.
Myanmar's military-appointed election commission has scheduled by-elections for April 4, 2027, to fill dozens of parliamentary seats, state media said on November 6, 2026. The Global New Light of Myanmar reported that the contest covers vacant seats in 55 constituencies.
The vote follows a general election held in December and January that the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won overwhelmingly in the absence of any viable opposition. The United Nations and many Western countries criticized that election as a sham, and junta chief Min Aung Hlaing became president. The USDP currently controls 84% of the bicameral parliament, according to the state media report.
Several seats in the by-election will encompass townships in the Sagaing Region plus Chin and Shan states, where anti-military resistance forces have a strong presence. Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh and where the military is locked in fierce fighting with the rebel Arakan Army, is not included.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup triggered a civil war that has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million. Voting in the general election was held in 692 constituencies, with 121 excluded as they were out of the military's control.