According to insider sources within the Myanmar military, the junta has instructed its troops and their families to vote exclusively for its allied political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), in the upcoming election.

Every battalion headquarters under the junta’s command has been warned that effective action will be taken if soldiers or their families fail to vote for the USDP.

Warnings that soldiers and their families will face action if they fail to vote for the USDP have been issued at every battalion headquarters under the junta’s command.

“The junta has already ordered its troops and their families to vote only for the USDP and has threatened severe punishment if anyone votes for another party,” a source told DMG.

The USDP is led by retired senior military generals, and some of the generals involved in the 2021 coup are planning to retire and run for the party in the upcoming election.

Analysts monitoring developments ahead of the junta-run election suggested the junta may be pressuring servicemen and their families to vote for the USDP, fearing a repeat of the party’s humiliating defeats in 2015 and 2020.

“It’s not surprising that the junta is forcing its troops and their families to vote for the USDP. But the question is why. The USDP was badly defeated in the last two elections, and the junta clearly fears it could happen again. The junta’s blocking of Daw Thet Thet Khine, chairwoman of the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP) and a potential rival, only highlights how desperate the USDP is to secure a win in this sham election,” said a young Arakan analyst monitoring the election.

The junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) has released the list of candidates for the upcoming election. The USDP is fielding the most candidates nationwide, with 1,042. Other parties include the National Unity Party (NUP) with 690 candidates, the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP) 667, the Myanmar Farmers Development Party (MFDP) 423, the Shan & Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), also known as the White Tiger Party, 576, and the People’s Party (PP) 501. In total, there are 4,937 candidates, including independents and those running for smaller, region- or state-focused parties rather than nationwide.

The upcoming election, overseen by the junta, will be held in phases, with Phase 1 voting set for December 28, 2025, and Phase 2 on January 11, 2026.

Parties registered with the UEC to contest the election have already begun their campaigns.