Myanmar Kicks Off Election Campaigning Amid Rising Virus Cases

Suu Kyi’s NLD expected to win by a landslide despite missteps
Southeast Asian nation will head to the polls on Nov. 8

National League for Democracy party supporters attend a campaign launch in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sept. 8.Photographer: Ye Aung Thu/AFP via Getty Images

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By Khine Lin Kyaw and Philip Heijmans

September 8, 2020 at 12:47 PM UTC

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Myanmar’s general election campaign kicked off on Tuesday ahead of a vote scheduled for Nov. 8 as concerns grow over a rise in Covid-19 infections in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries.

After months of recording fewer than 10 cases a day, Myanmar’s infections have more than tripled since Aug. 25 to 1,610 as of Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. The increase has already forced state counselor and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to cancel what would have been her first campaign event, with other parties following suit or opting to virtual events.