​Myanmar’s Parliament convened on Monday (March 16, 2026) for the first time since a coup five years ago, in ‌one of the final steps in a nominal return to democracy where ​its powerful military retains tight control.

The gathering of the new Parliament ⁠comes after a recent phased election that is dominated by the Army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) amid low voter turnout and no viable Opposition.

USDP chairman and retired brigadier-general Khin Yi was elected Lower House Speaker ‌on Monday (March 16, 2026). Reuters had earlier reported Khin Yi had been touted for the role, which is seen by some analysts as pivotal for the ‌military in advancing its agenda.

Myanmar has been plagued by civil war and a ‌humanitarian crisis ⁠affecting millions of its people since its generals staged a 2021 coup ⁠against the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, just as it was preparing for a second five-year term in office following a landslide election win.

Many Western countries have dismissed the latest election ​as a sham designed to entrench military ‌rule and earn the generals legitimacy after five years as pariahs tainted by sanctions and barred from top international summits.

Military-dominated legislature

The USDP, created by the military in 2010, won 81% of available seats and will be joined in the bicameral Parliament by ‌scores of military officers hand-picked by the armed forces, which under the ​constitution is allocated a quarter of legislative seats.

The military’s big representation and its influence over the USDP effectively puts the legislature under its control, ⁠giving the top brass the power to determine the Presidency, with junta chief and coup leader Min Aung Hlaing widely expected to take the post himself.

“This level of control makes ‌it clear that one can expect nothing substantial from this body; it is evidently a Parliament that will operate solely at the whim of the military leader,” said Htin Kyaw Aye, an independent analyst.

“It is merely a manoeuvre by the military leadership to shift power from their left hand to their right hand,” he said.

Superbody to be formed

In addition, a new five-member panel, the Union Consultative Council, will be established in ‌what some experts have called a “super-body” that would allow Min Aung Hlaing to maintain his grip ​on both military and civilian administration.

The junta has defied criticism of the election, insisting it reflected the will of the people. It has ⁠said a new government would be formed in April and has predicted an easing of sanctions ⁠and greater international engagement and foreign investment.

A commentary in Monday’s state-run Global New Light of Myanmar on the formation of Parliament said the entire country was hoping ‌for the best political conditions where the national interest is prioritised.

“In carrying out political activities, they must act courageously for the good of the nation, free from ​personal bias, party bias, and feelings of favouritism or hostility,” it said.

Voters in war-torn Myanmar queued up on Sunday (January 11, 2026) to cast their ​ballots in the second stage of a military-run election, following low turnout ‌in the initial round of polls that have been widely criticised ​as a tool to formalise junta rule.

Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military ousted a civilian government in a 2021 coup and detained its leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a civil war that has engulfed large parts of the impoverished nation of 51 million people.

Ms. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, which swept the last election in 2020, has been dissolved along with ​dozens of other anti-junta parties for failing to register for the latest polls, ⁠while rebel groups have refused to take part.

The United Nations, many Western countries and human rights groups say the election is a sham exercise that is neither free, fair nor credible in the absence ​of a meaningful opposition.

Army allies marching towards victory

The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is leading by a huge margin after winning 90 of the 102 lower house seats contested in the first phase on December 28, 2025, which saw only 52.13% voter turnout, much lower than elections ‌in 2020 and 2015.

“The USDP is on track for a landslide victory, ‌which is hardly a surprise given the extent to which the playing field was tilted in its favour. This included the removal of any serious ‍rivals and a set of laws designed to stifle opposition to the polls,” said Richard Horsey, Senior Myanmar Adviser for Crisis Group.

A final round will take place on ‍January 25. In all, there will be voting in 265 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, including areas where the junta does not have full control.

Transition promised

The junta has said the election will bring political stability and a better future for the country, which is facing one of the most serious humanitarian crises in Asia.

At least 16,600 civilians have died in the conflict since the coup, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, and the U.N. estimates that 3.6 million people have been displaced. However, analysts warn that the junta’s ⁠attempt to form a stable administration amid raging conflict is fraught with risk and any military-controlled government is unlikely to gain broad international recognition.

Junta ​chief Min Aung Hlaing last month sidestepped a question from a reporter about his political ⁠ambitions.

He hailed the election as a success during a visit last week to central Myanmar township, where he urged authorities to work to further boost turnout.

“In phase one of the election, a large number of votes were cast, showing that the people have a strong desire to participate in the democratic process,” ⁠state media quoted him as saying. “Therefore, the election can be considered a successful one.”