Myanmar’s military government extended the state of emergency for another six months until January 31, dashing hopes that a general election will be held this year.
The National Defence and Security Council approved the emergency extension, Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the ruling State Administration Council, said.
In a televised broadcast on state-run MRTV, military chief Min Aung Hlaing said it’s necessary for the junta to “continue to take responsibility for a certain period of time.” General elections cannot be held hastily, he said, citing the need for systematic preparation and restoring stability.
He added it would be difficult to hold elections across the whole country, especially in provinces that continued to see unrest.
Min Aung Hlaing had originally said an election would be held in August as part of the regime’s pledge to hand over control after seizing power in a coup in 2021 that toppled the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The move comes as conflict continues to rage across the country while the economy is grappling with inflation and shortage of dollars.
Recent reports said the junta plans to shift Suu Kyi’s sentence to a house arrest.
(Adds comments from military chief)
