New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- India has urged Myanmar to hold "free, fair and inclusive" elections, saying broad participation is essential for a credible transition to democracy as global scrutiny over transparency continues to grow.

Myanmar's military leadership plans to conduct voting in three phases starting December 28, with balloting expected to stretch through January.

Overseas voting has already begun at embassies in locations such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, even as questions persist about how representative the exercise will be.

The polls are scheduled in just 274 of 330 townships, reflecting limited military control over regions held by resistance forces and underscoring the uneven nature of the election rollout....