Note for Myanmar Media on Free and Fair Elections
In August 2025, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) prepared a Note for IPCM Members on Free and Fair Elections, to help guide the independent Myanmar media, and especially members of the Independent Press Council of Myanmar (IPCM), on how to report objectively on the upcoming promised elections. The military regime currently running Myanmar announced earlier that month that the “first phase” of the upcoming elections would be held on 28 December 2025. CLD’s Note sets out in a simple format the key standards for free and fair elections, to support independent media wishing to report impartially on whether the Myanmar elections meet those standards.
The Note starts with a one and one-half page Overview of Key Standards, which is followed by an Introduction, setting out the key international law guarantees for free and fair elections, before elaborating more deeply on each of the key standards. The eight key standards are as follows: Respect for Fundamental Freedoms; Respect for the Results of Elections; Periodic Elections; Violence; Universal Suffrage; Secret Ballot; Independent Oversight; and Appeals. The Note elaborates on the content of each standard, but not on the extent to which they are currently being respecting in Myanmar. However, CLD has reported extensively on how the military regime is breaching international guarantees of fundamental freedoms; these reports are available on our Myanmar Resource Page.
While the Note is aimed primarily at independent Myanmar media, it should be a useful resource for any media outlets wishing to report on the rollout of the elections in Myanmar.
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