The junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) has announced that Dee Maw Hso and Pruso townships in Karenni State will be included in the second phase of the upcoming national election. The Phase II election is scheduled for January 11, 2026, and will cover 100 townships nationwide.
However, both Dee Maw Hso and Pruso townships have witnessed ongoing clashes for nearly three months between junta troops and resistance forces. As a result of the continued fighting, many local residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Pruso Township have been forced to flee once again, according to local sources.
Local sources report that, apart from limited areas in the town centers, most parts of both townships are under the control of resistance forces. In Dee Maw Hso, junta forces based in Ngwe Taung village tract under Light Infantry Battalion 102 have urged local residents to return home, which many believe is linked to the planned election.
“This is obviously just to make people vote,” said a displaced resident from Dee Maw Hso. “Everyone already knows what’s really happening in our state. No one trusts this election or believes in it. But in the areas controlled by the junta, people will probably be forced to cast their votes.”
The junta has been launching military offensives to secure control over the areas where it plans to hold elections, while resistance groups have vowed to continue fighting to prevent what they describe as an illegitimate vote.
According to the junta’s Union Election Commission (UEC), 121 constituencies nationwide will be excluded from the upcoming election due to security concerns. In Karenni State, the affected areas include Hpasawng, Mese, and Shan Daw townships. Out of the state’s seven townships, elections are planned to take place in only four places.
Political parties expected to contest in Karenni State include the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the National Unity Party (NUP), the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), and the Kayah State People’s Party (KySPP).
Resistance forces in Karenni State have strongly opposed the junta-organized election, describing it as an attempt to legitimize military rule rather than a genuine democratic process.
