But the election commission said on Thursday there was no evidence to support these claims, saying the polls were free, fair and credible, and had “[reflected] the will of the people”.

While the commission also denied allegations of voter fraud, it acknowledged “flaws” in the voter lists in previous elections, and said it was currently investigating a total of 287 complaints.

The military’s call for voter list verification ramped up this week, with an army spokesman on Tuesday refusing to rule out the possibility of a military takeover to deal with what he called a political crisis.

The newly elected MPs are expected to begin sitting in parliament on February 1, and security in the capital Naypyidaw was tight on Friday with police guarding roads with fences and barbed wire.

Fears grew after army chief General Min Aung Hlaing – arguably Myanmar’s most powerful individual – appeared to echo the sentiment on Wednesday when he said the country’s constitution could be “revoked” under certain circumstances.

“The constitution is the mother law for all laws. So we all need to abide by the constitution. If one does not follow the law, such law must be revoked. If it is the constitution, it is necessary to revoke the constitution,” he told senior officers in a speech.

Khin Zaw Win, a political analyst in Yangon and former political prisoner, suggested the military was signalling its intention to intervene in the country’s politics.

“The military’s course of action is much clearer now. As illogical as it sounds, military chief Min Aung Hlaing’s argument is meant to soften the blow of abrogating the 2008 constitution,” he said.

“By doing so, he aims to do away with the election results and the impending NLD government. At the same time he wants to win public support for scrapping the unpopular constitution,” he added.

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Political analyst Soe Myint Aung said the army saw “major loopholes [in the constitution] that has caused its detriment”.

“The coup rhetoric is not merely a bluff or empty threat,” he said. Even if it does not orchestrate a “fully fledged” takeover of power, “it is likely the military will take some action unless the [election commission] and the government redress the election-related grievances”.

The US embassy – along with 16 countries including former colonial power Britain and the EU delegation – released a statement on Friday urging the military to respect “democratic norms”.

“We look forward to the peaceful convening of the parliament on February 1 and the election of the president and speakers,” it said. “[We] oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition.”

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United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also raised “great concern” over Myanmar’s recent developments, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

“He urges all actors to desist from any form of incitement or provocation, demonstrate leadership, and to adhere to democratic norms and respecting the outcome of the (election),” Dujarric said in a statement.

Suu Kyi has made no direct comment on the military’s polling complaints.

The polls in November were only the second democratic elections Myanmar has seen since stepping out from the curtain of a 49-year military dictatorship. The civilian administration has been in an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the army generals since then.

Additional reporting by Associated Press