Myanmar army pledges elections, power transfer following coup
Tuesday February 02 2021
Myanmar's army said on February 1, 2021 that it will hold fresh elections and hand power to the winning party once a year-long state of emergency has elapsed, hours after carrying out a coup. PHOTO | AFP
Yangon
Myanmar's army said Monday it will hold fresh elections and hand power to the winning party once a year-long state of emergency has elapsed, hours after carrying out a coup.
"We will perform real multi-party democracy... with complete balance and fairness," a statement on the army's official Facebook page said.
The military claims last year's election, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy win in a landslide, was riddled with massive voter fraud.
Unable to accept the result, the army staged a coup early Monday.
Suu Kyi detained
The statement was issued hours after the army took power, detaining de facto leader Suu Kyi, declaring a state of emergency and appointing ex-general Myint Swe as acting president.
It said that power will be transferred to the winning party after "holding a free and fair general election and the emergency provisions period is complete."
According to Myanmar's constitution — scripted by the army — a nationwide state of emergency can be declared for up to a year.
But given the coup and the army's near-total control of the country, that timeframe is within their power to change.