Editing Politics of Myanmar (section)

===2010 election===
{{main|2010 Myanmar general election}}
An election was held in 2010, with 40 parties approved to contest the elections by the Electoral Commission.<ref>{{cite news|last=Buncombe|first=Andrew|title=Burma bans marching and chanting during rallies|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-bans-marching-and-chanting-during--rallies-2008359.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=23 June 2010|location=London|access-date=8 September 2017|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925183725/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-bans-marching-and-chanting-during--rallies-2008359.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> some of which are linked to [[List of ethnic groups in Burma|ethnic minorities]].<ref name=ReuNDF>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6455UR20100506 Suu Kyi party splits, faction to run in Myanmar poll] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122195116/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6455UR20100506 |date=22 November 2020 }}. [[Reuters]]. {{Nowrap|7 May}} 2010</ref> The [[National League for Democracy]], which overwhelmingly won the previous [[1990 Burmese general election|1990 elections]] but were never allowed to take power, decided not to participate.

The military-backed [[Union Solidarity and Development Party]] declared victory, winning 259 of the 330 contested seats. The United Nations and many Western countries have condemned the elections as fraudulent,<ref name="t">{{cite news | url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2064470,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415073401/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2064470,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=15 April 2011 | title=The Slow Thaw of Burma's Notorious Military Junta | newspaper=Times | access-date=1 September 2011 | author=Andrew Marshall | date=11 April 2011}}</ref> although the decision to hold elections was praised by China and Russia.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite news |author=Reuters in Rangoon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/09/burma-usdp-wins-election |title=Burmese election won by military-backed party |work=guardian.co.uk |date=9 November 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010 |location=London |archive-date=11 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111151613/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/09/burma-usdp-wins-election |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysinchew.com/node/47776 |title=China praises much-criticised Myanmar election |publisher=My Sinchew |access-date=11 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103221210/http://www.mysinchew.com/node/47776 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>