Myanmar's dominant pro-military party is "winning a majority" in the first phase of junta-run elections, a party source told AFP on Monday, after democracy watchdogs warned the poll would entrench military rule.

Analysts warn that conflict, power shortages and resource extraction under military rule are pushing Myanmar’s economy further into reverse.

Myanmar's military rulers are holding a general election in phases starting Dec. 28 amid the country's civil war. The head of the U.N. says the vote will be anything but free and fair.

A roundup of live updates from The Irrawaddy’s coverage of the first phase of voting on Sunday, which was marked by violence, protests and low turnout.

In August 2024, Myanmar’s ruling military junta was losing ground fast. A rebel offensive had swept down from the Chinese border and was threatening Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. For the first time in decades,

Myanmar’s junta said on Tuesday that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is “in good health,” a day after her son told Reuters he has received little information about the 80-year-old’s condition and fears she could die without him knowing.

As the regime presses ahead with a tightly controlled first phase of voting on Sunday, large swathes of the country remain beyond its reach and political opponents are shut out.