On July 31 in Yangon, the leader of the military council announced the start of what he called a ‘second chapter’ during a farewell ceremony. The military leader claimed that over the past four and a half years, they had overcome numerous challenges to reach the current situation. He urged everyone to cooperate for success in the journey ahead, stating that much work remains to be done for the country’s future and that the current situation marks only the beginning of the second chapter.
The military leader blamed the National League for Democracy (NLD) for all current situations in the country. He alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election, claiming that despite repeatedly requesting the government to take action against those responsible for voter list irregularities, no resolution was provided. He stated that the declaration of a state of emergency under the 2008 Constitution was due to what he described as the NLD’s attempt to seize state power forcefully through parliament.
The military leader acknowledged that the NLD party won the 2015 multi-party democratic election and served as the second democratic government, during which time the public had high expectations. However, he accused the party of economic weaknesses due to lack of management experience and opposition to previous government initiatives. He claimed that while the country’s economy was strong in 2015-2016 with significant foreign assistance, it later declined due to poor management, over-reliance on foreign aid, lack of support for domestic economy, and low domestic production. He also announced plans to hold elections in December, though he provided no specific details about the electoral process or conditions.
