From inside a military base last week, Myanmar¡¯s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing announced who he wanted voters to pick in Sunday¡¯s general election, nearly five years after seizing power in a coup.
¡°He suggested that during the upcoming election period, voters should choose candidates who can cooperate with the Tatmadaw,¡± state-run media reported, referring to Myanmar¡¯s powerful armed forces.
The comments underline the junta¡¯s attempts to hold on to power as it uses ballots to do what it couldn¡¯t on the battlefield ¡ª cement its control over the country in the face of fierce armed resistance that has ?emerged since the coup, while gaining some international legitimacy for its rule.
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