Myanmar 

Myanmar recently held its first general elections since its military junta seized power in a coup in February 2021. The final phase of voting concluded on 25 January 2026. The Union Solidarity and Development Party, a proxy for the military junta, claimed a landslide victory following the removal of its primary opposition. The National League for Democracy (the former government) was dissolved in 2023, along with 39 other major political parties.  

The election was only held in 263 of 330 townships. It was largely confined to urban centres under military control, where many ethnic and religious groups (including Rohingyas) were systematically excluded. Escalating airstrikes and at least 170 civilian deaths were reported during the voting period. Far from being free and fair, the election was a tool of exclusion – reinforcing a nationalist ideology that treats non-Buddhists as ‘foreign’.  

Central African Republic 

The Central African Republic went to the polls on 28 December 2025. The main opposition party boycotted the elections, in part because of a controversial amendment which removed presidential term limits. This allowed President Faustin Archange Touadéra to run for a third term, and he was re-elected with over 77% of the vote. Other candidates reported that their movements were restricted, preventing them from campaigning in all parts of the country.  

While the elections were largely peaceful, the Azande Militia launched a series of attacks on security stations, police stations, soldiers and police in Bambouti (Haut Mbomou Prefecture). The violence spread to Zemio, where at least 2,000 people were displaced. A significant number of displaced persons sought shelter in Zemio’s Catholic Church, while others fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.