In the general elections on 8 November 2020, ASSK’s NLD captured 396 out of 476 (83%) seats, allowing them to form the government for another five years. The military-backed USDP won only 33 seats (7%) combined in both houses of Parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw), the House of Nationalities (a 224-seat upper house), and the House of Representatives (a 440-seat lower house).
The elections followed the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system. In such a system, the candidates who win a majority of votes are elected lawmakers.
The military representatives have their usual quota of 25 % of seats, meaning a combined 166 military personnel would be sitting in the two houses of Parliament.
The USDP refused to recognize the results of the general election and called for a re-run of the voting, with the military’s cooperation. The military claimed to have found 8.6 million irregularities in voter lists in 314 townships that could have led to voters casting multiple ballots or committing other “voting malpractice”, and called on the government and the UEC to review the results. The UEC responded that there was no evidence to support these claims.
Of the more than 90 parties that contested the vote, at least 17 have complained of mostly minor irregularities and all except the USDP are smaller parties. Election observers have said the voting was without major irregularities.