The Irrawaddy News

On the eve of the military-organized election, leading independent journalists from Myanmar discussed what lies ahead, and what the resistance must do to unite.

Anti-regime groups launch offensive in town covered by second phase of rigged poll.

After five years of brutal military rule, residents of Myanmars largest city voted with their feet in the first phase of the juntas election on Sunday.

With all serious opposition politicians in jail or exile, a widespread boycott, and the process heavily rigged in the juntas favor, the USDP ratchets up a widely expected win.

Beijings envoy Deng Xijun said the militarys widely condemned poll is the product of top-level agreements, underscoring Chinas strategic stakes in Myanmar.

Weve seen this game before: The election that began Sunday is designed to entrench military power, not transfer it.

As the generals smile for cameras, people stay homeor cast ballots under fearas the military stages a rigged poll to entrench power in civilian clothes.

A source from the military-proxy USDP said the party is on course to win, as critics and voters voiced deep distrust of the poll.

Many shops were shuttered and homes locked in Mandalay city as a trickle of voters turned out amid tight security after a resistance rocket attack overnight.

A roundup of live updates from The Irrawaddys coverage of the first phase of voting on Sunday, which was marked by violence, protests and low turnout.

Resistance forces in Mandalay and Karen States Myawaddy attack regime installations with homemade rockets and bombs ahead of nationwide polls.

Turnout plunges as military pushes ahead with vote widely condemned as a sham five years after seizing power.

Myanmar junta lifts Yangon's curfew days before its sham electionsclaiming stability amid ongoing civil war and repression.

As the regime presses ahead with a tightly controlled first phase of voting on Sunday, large swathes of the country remain beyond its reach and political opponents are shut out.

Scrutiny of vote widely regarded as a fraud to entrench military rule will be confined to regimes supporters at home and abroad.

On Jan. 25, the junta hopes, another 63 townships will go to the polls, whether its writ runs there or not. But even that is nine fewer than expected.

The junta-organized election has been engineered in a myriad subtle and unsubtle ways to ensure there can only be one winner: the military regime.

Military regime exports repression abroad as Seoul embassy targets protesters for rallying against its sham poll.