Military coup: Myanmar general repeats pledge of new election

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Myanmar’s military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Monday’s military takeover. He repeated claims that last November’s election, won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, had been fraudulent, reports Reuters.

But in the capital Naypyitaw, crowds of protesters chanted anti-coup slogans and told police they should serve the people not the military, according to media and a live feed of events.

Police turned water cannon on protesters and warned that they might use live fire if the demonstrators did not disperse, but the protests ended without bloodshed.

Demonstrations also took place in the main city Yangon and elsewhere. Gatherings have so far been largely peaceful, unlike bloody crackdowns on previous protests, in 1988 and 2007 in particular when hundreds were killed.

The generals had already tried to justify their takeover on the grounds of election fraud – rejected by the election committee – and had promised a new poll.

Min Aung Hlaing reiterated that position in his address on Monday, saying the junta would form a “true and disciplined democracy” different to previous eras of military rule.

The election committee must be reformed, he said. It had used the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse and did not allow fair campaigning, he said.

“We will have a multiparty election and we will hand the power to the one who wins in that election, according to the rules of democracy,” he said.

He gave no time frame but the junta has said a state of emergency will last one year.