Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage legitimacy

Myanmar’s new parliament will convene next week, following an election tightly stage-managed by the Junta. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will enjoy a commanding majority and the party of former generals can be expected to preserve the interests of the military and its associates.It’s unclear just how closely these broader interests align with the political ambitions of Junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He does not formally lead the USDP, whose majority means it can choose the president without the help of the 25 per cent bloc of unelected military MPs.In reality, the presidency and other major appointments are subject to delicate negotiations between USDP leaders and the Junta chief. While Min Aung Hlaing allegedly covets the presidency, the constitution states that different people must occupy the positions of commander-in-chief and the two parliamentary speakers.Analysts will pore over any flicker of tension between these individuals – not for signs of budding democracy, but of instability within the ruling clique.Vote counting takes place in Yangon on January 25 during the general election in Myanmar. Photo: KyodoAnother vulnerability lies beyond the corridors of Naypyidaw, however. The USDP’s sweeping victory in the recent election – surpassing 80 per cent of elected seats in the national legislature – has distracted attention from its actual vote share. Official figures put this at about 44 per cent of all ballots cast, before the distortions of the “winner-takes-all” electoral system.