Myanmar Parliament convenes as Army prepares for new era of rule 

Myanmar's Parliament convenes under military control, following a controversial election that reinforces the Army's grip on power.

​Myanmar's Parliament convened on Monday (March 16, 2026) for the first time since a coup five years ago, in ‌one of the final steps in a nominal return to democracy where ​its powerful military retains tight control.

The gathering of the new Parliament ⁠comes after a recent phased election that is dominated by the Army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) amid low voter turnout and no viable Opposition.

USDP chairman and retired brigadier-general Khin Yi was elected Lower House Speaker ‌on Monday (March 16, 2026). Reuters had earlier reported Khin Yi had been touted for the role, which is seen by some analysts as pivotal for the ‌military in advancing its agenda.

Myanmar has been plagued by civil war and a ‌humanitarian crisis ⁠affecting millions of its people since its generals staged a 2021 coup ⁠against the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, just as it was preparing for a second five-year term in office following a landslide election win.

Many Western countries have dismissed the latest election ​as a sham designed to entrench military ‌rule and earn the generals legitimacy after five years as pariahs tainted by sanctions and barred from top international summits.

The USDP, created by the military in 2010, won 81% of available seats and will be joined in the bicameral Parliament by ‌scores of military officers hand-picked by the armed forces, which under the ​constitution is allocated a quarter of legislative seats.