His name is not on the ballot, and his photographs don't appear on campaign posters. But one man looms large over the general election underway in Myanmar: junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's junta leader, has maintained power since a 2021 coup toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government. Amidst civil unrest and global criticism, he demonstrates political acumen in controlling the military and managing elite relationships,

Democracy advocates say the vote has been rigged by a crackdown on dissent and a ballot stacked with junta allies

In late December, Myanmar’s military rulers opened a month-long election that has been the subject of widespread criticism for excluding opponents of the junta that seized power almost four years ago.

Myanmar’s junta-led election is not free or fair. Yet despite banned opposition, mass displacement, and severe repression, the staged poll is already granting the military dangerous international

Voter turnout hits record lows in the first round of Myanmar's military-backed election, with the USDP claiming a predicted victory. Analysts dismiss the process as rigged ahead of the second round of voting on Jan.