Naypyidaw [Myanmar], December 28 (ANI): Nearly five years after overthrowing Myanmar's elected government, the military junta on Sunday began polling in a tightly controlled national election.

The poll marks the first nationwide election organised by the junta since it seized power in February 2021, a takeover that triggered mass protests and plunged the country into a brutal civil war that continues to this day.

The military has claimed the election will pave the way for a return to democracy. However, opposition groups and human rights organisations have dismissed the vote as a move designed to legitimise continued junta rule.

The elections are happening even as Myanmar's most popular political leader, whose government was overthrown by the military in February 2021, remains imprisoned. Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been dissolved, effectively excluding it from the political process.

According to CNN, the electoral landscape is heavily tilted in favour of the military junta, with the ballot dominated by parties aligned with or backed by the junta.

Voting began on Sunday in parts of the country and is being conducted in three phases, with additional rounds scheduled for January 11 and January 25. Authorities have not announced when the final results will be released.

Large areas of Myanmar will not participate in the election due to ongoing fighting. Continued clashes between junta forces and a mix of ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy fighters have made voting impossible in several regions, particularly in border areas and parts of central Myanmar, CNN reported.

Over the past year, rebel forces have inflicted notable losses on the Junta military, briefly raising hopes among opponents that the junta's grip on power could weaken.

Security has been tightened nationwide ahead of the three-phase vote. At the same time, hundreds of people have been arrested under a newly enacted law that criminalises criticism of the election or efforts to disrupt the process. The military has continued its operations against opponents even as polling takes place.

The military has rejected accusations of abuse, saying it is targeting 'terrorists' and maintaining that the election aims to build what it calls a 'genuine, disciplined multiparty democratic system.' It has dismissed international criticism of the polls.

The United States and most Western countries do not recognise the junta as Myanmar's legitimate government. Several Asian nations, including Japan and Malaysia, have also criticised the election. (ANI)