Executive Summary ANFREL wishes to congratulate the people of Myanmar, the Union Election Commission, and the hundreds of thousands of polling staff who made this electoral process a success despite difficult conditions. We further congratulate all election stakeholders, and in particular civil society organisations and the international community, for contributing to a vibrant election environment and conducting much-needed education, advocacy, and observation activities. Election Day was found to be peaceful and orderly across the country, with no major incidents reported. Strong turnout and a slower voting process due to preventive measures against COVID-19 sometimes led to long queues, but all voters were eventually able to cast their ballots. While ANFREL observers reported some inconsistencies in the implementation of polling procedures, the integrity of the vote was not affected. Polling and counting operations were conducted diligently and transparently, and health guidelines were overall well-implemented, although social distancing could not be implemented in many locations because of large crowds and/or a lack of available space. In an attempt to increase voters’ participation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UEC made some extraordinary changes to advance voting compared with previous elections, such as voting from home for elderly voters, polling stations in quarantine centres, and the expansion of out-ofconstituency advance voting to people who were unable to return to their home constituencies because of travel restrictions. While advance voting guidelines were found to be unevenly implemented and advance voting remains the weakest part of the electoral process, ANFREL found no reason to doubt the overall integrity of the advance voting process. The UEC took commendable steps to allow for greater participation in a challenging environment, although ANFREL recommends that more stringent procedures be implemented in the future to strengthen procedural safeguards and guarantee ballot secrecy. The campaign environment was generally peaceful and calm, with few instances of election violence and mostly minor ones. However, the death of a supporter in Sagaing region and the abduction of three NLD candidates in Rakhine state are serious incidents that ANFREL strongly condemns. The boycott of the revised code of conduct for political parties by 30 formations is also a concerning development that damages Myanmar’s ability to promote a level and ethical playing field for election campaigning. As campaigns shifted online, large parts of the population with poor connectivity were alienated. Ad spending on Facebook ramped up, while issues of mis- and disinformation were prevalent on social media. Access to state media for campaigning was also restricted by alleged censorship from the Union Election Commission. Campaign activities were also hampered by COVID-19, as political parties and candidates were required to follow guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports, including wearing face masks, keeping a six-feet social distance, using hand sanitisers, and limiting events to 50 participants. Campaigning was also prohibited in areas under a stay-at-home order. Compliance and enforcement of these guidelines were assessed to be inadequate, which contributed to both a hazardous campaign environment and an unlevel playing field. Myanmar’s legal framework for elections continues to be fundamentally undemocratic, with 25% of all seats reserved for the military. Similarly, efforts to amend the constitution have failed because of the veto granted to the military. Furthermore, large sectors of the population remain disenfranchised, including ethnic Rohingya and all members of religious orders. Constituency boundaries also perpetuate population imbalances and an inequitable distribution of parliamentary seats. 3