The ‘Sham’ elections in war-torn Myanmar have been widely criticised.

Myanmar is voting in an election that has been widely dismissed as a sham, with major political parties disbanded, many of their leaders jailed and more than half the population expected to vote because of the country’s ongoing civil war.

The military government is holding a phased vote nearly five years after seizing power in a coup, which sparked widespread protests and civil war.

Observers say the junta, backed by China, is trying to legitimise and consolidate its power as it looks for a way out of the devastating impasse.

A new law that carries severe penalties, including the death penalty, has charged more than 200 people with disrupting or protesting voting.

Voting commenced on Sunday, during which several areas of the country reported explosions and air strikes.

Three people were taken to hospital after a rocket hit an uninhabited house in the Mandalay region early Sunday, the region’s chief minister confirmed to the BBC. The condition of one of these individuals is critical.

Separately, more than ten houses were damaged in Myawaddy township near the border with Thailand after a series of explosions late Saturday night.

A local resident informed the BBC that the attack resulted in the death of a child and the emergency hospitalisation of three others.

Further reports of casualties have emerged following other explosions.

Voters have told the BBC about the elections.

Voters have told the BBC that the election feels more “disciplined and organised” than before.

“The voting experience has changed a lot,” said Ma Su Zarchi, who lives in the Mandalay region.

“I was scared before voting. Now that I have voted, I feel relieved. I have cast my vote as someone who has tried his best for the country.”

First-time voter Ee Pyay Phyo Maung, 22, told the BBC she was casting her vote because she believed it was “the responsibility of every citizen” to vote.

She said, “My hope is for the lower class – right now, the prices of commodities are skyrocketing, and I want to support someone who can bring it down for the people who are struggling the most.”

“I want a president who provides equally for all people.”

The Burmese junta has rejected criticisms of the elections and says its goal is “withdrawal.” The junta aims to establish a multi-party democratic system in the country.

After casting his vote at a heavily guarded polling station in the capital, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told the BBC the election would be free and fair.

“I am the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, a civil servant. I can’t just say I want to be president,” he said, stressing that there are three phases of the election.

Earlier this week, he warned that those who refuse to vote are rejecting “progress toward democracy.”.

Film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut and comedian Ohn Ding were among the prominent figures convicted under a law against disrupting elections that was implemented in July.

They were each sentenced to seven years in prison after criticising a film promoting the elections, state media reported.

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Sunday called on the international community to reject the election, saying it could lead to “nothing legitimate”.

He said, “An election organised by a junta that is bombing civilians, jailing political leaders, and criminalising all forms of dissent is not an election—it is a theatre of the absurd, conducted at gunpoint.”

The army is fighting on multiple fronts, against armed resistance groups opposing the coup as well as ethnic armies, which have their militias. It lost control of large parts of the country in a series of setbacks but regained control of the region this year after sustained air strikes with support from China and Russia.

The civil war took thousands of lives, displaced millions, destroyed the economy, and created a humanitarian vacuum. The devastating earthquake in March and cuts in international funding have made the situation worse.

All this, and the fact that large parts of the country are still under opposition control, poses a huge logistical challenge to holding elections.

Voting is scheduled to take place in three phases next month in 265 of the country’s 330 townships, with the rest considered highly volatile. The results are expected by the end of January.

No voting is expected in half of the country. Even in townships where voting is taking place, not all constituencies will vote, making it difficult to predict the likely turnout.

Six parties, including the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, are fielding candidates across the country, while the other 51 parties and independent candidates will contest only at the state or regional level.

About 40 parties have been banned, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, which won landslide victories in 2015 and 2020. Charges widely believed to be politically motivated have jailed Suu Kyi and several key party leaders, while others remain in exile.

“By dividing voting into phases, authorities can adjust strategies if the results in the first phase do not suit them,” Htin Kyaw Aye, a spokesman for the election-monitoring group Spring Sprouts, told the Myanmar Now news agency.

Ral Uk Thang, a resident of western Chin State, believes that citizens do not want elections.

“The military does not know how to rule our country. They only work for the benefit of their high-ranking leaders.”

“When Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party was in power, we experienced a little bit of democracy.” But now we just cry and shed tears,” the 80-year-old told the BBC.

Western governments, including the United Kingdom and the European Parliament, have dismissed the vote as a sham, while regional bloc ASEAN has called for political dialogue before any elections.