Myanmar Ends State of Emergency and Forms Committee to Prepare for General Elections

SadaNews - The ruling military council in Myanmar announced today, Thursday, the cancellation of the state of emergency and the formation of a committee composed of 11 members, headed by army chief Min Aung Hlaing, to conduct elections in the country engulfed in civil war.

The official MRTV television network reported that the military council has set next December as the date for the elections without specifying a particular day, noting that Hlaing will continue to effectively lead the country in his capacity as interim president who will oversee the voting.

The cancellation of the state of emergency declared by the council after four years since it took power in a military coup is considered a necessary step to hold the scheduled elections under the 2008 constitution.

The proposed elections will be the first national elections since the 2021 coup, in which the military overthrew an elected civilian government, leading to a civil war and plunging the Southeast Asian nation into chaos.

In its last meeting in January, the National Council extended the state of emergency until July 31, justifying this by the country's need for stability to ensure free and fair general elections.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has called for an arrest warrant for the chairman of the military council in Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, on charges of deportation and persecution, which are crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya Muslims.

Source: Agencies