Union Election Commission ousts 2 opposition lawmakers, handing seats to military-backed USDP

The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on Tuesday that two elected members of parliament from the People’s Party representing Tanintharyi Region’s Myeik and Launglon townships have been dismissed from their legislative roles. The decision to unseat the lawmakers comes nearly eight months after the conclusion of the regime’s 2025–26 elections, systematically reallocating both parliamentary seats to candidates from the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). The dismissals follow a formal voting dispute objection submitted to the electoral tribunal by USDP candidate Win Kyuu regarding lower house (Pyithu Hluttaw) results. Acting on the challenge, the UEC unseated People’s Party representative Khaing Oo, who was elected to represent Myeik Township under the First Past The Post (FPTP) system, and officially replaced him with Win Kyuu on Sept. 7. Simultaneously, People’s Party member Tin Soe, who won the seat for Launglon Township under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, was stripped of his position and replaced by USDP candidate Mya Mya Sein. All three political parties involved—the People’s Party, the USDP, and the Myanmar Farmers Development Party (MFDP)—had contested both Tanintharyi constituencies following the initial round of voting on Dec. 28. Led by Chairperson Ko Ko Gyi, the People’s Party fielded over 500 candidates nationwide during the polls, though it was barred from contesting any seats across Arakan, Chin, and Karenni states. Neither leadership from the People’s Party nor the USDP issued immediate public statements following the UEC’s formal announcement. The UEC’s ruling further cements the USDP’s dominant legislative majority resulting from the regime’s multi-phased electoral process. Official UEC results published on Jan. 28 show the USDP secured 231 out of 263 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw and 56 out of 79 seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house). Nationwide, over 4,900 candidates from 57 political parties participated in the election cycle, with the USDP deploying the largest slate at 1,018 candidates and standing as one of only six parties capable of maintaining a national campaign. The three-phase voting took place across 263 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, while security conditions and ongoing armed conflict prevented balloting in 67 townships. To address the unrepresented constituencies, regime leader Min Aung Hlaing previously announced plans to conduct by-elections across 102 townships on an unspecified date in early 2027. The post Union Election Commission ousts 2 opposition lawmakers, handing seats to military-backed USDP appeared first on DVB.