Myanmar's military government has officially ended the state of emergency, signaling plans to hold national elections by year-end. Despite this move,

General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, continues to hold all key levers of power.

The opposition groups, comprising former lawmakers ousted during the coup, have vowed to boycott the election, which a UN expert recently described as “a sham” intended to justify the military’s ongoing hold on power.

Myanmar’s military leader said the country was entering a “second chapter,” signaling a potential shift ahead of a decision Thursday on lifting the country’s state of emergency — a necessary step for holding elections more than four years after a coup.

Myanmar's junta ended the country's state of emergency on Thursday, ramping up preparations for a December election being boycotted by opposition groups and criticised by international monitors.