Myanmar will hold new elections in two years, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing promises
- The timeline would leave Myanmar in the military’s grip for nearly two-and-a-half years, instead of one year as the junta announced days after the coup
- The junta also announced in a separate statement that Min Aung Hlaing had been appointed as the prime minister of the ‘caretaker government’
The country has been in turmoil since the army ousted the civilian leader in February, launching a bloody crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 900 people according to a local monitoring group.
A resurgent virus wave has also amplified havoc, with many hospitals empty of pro-democracy medical staff, and the World Bank has forecast the economy will contract by up to 18 per cent.
In a televised address, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said “we will accomplish the provisions of the state of emergency by August 2023”.
“I pledge to hold multiparty elections without fail,” he added.
The State Administration Council – as the junta calls itself – also announced in a separate statement that Min Aung Hlaing had been appointed as the prime minister of the “caretaker government”.