Pakistan, Jan. 25 -- Myanmar's military leader dismissed international criticism on Sunday as the country completed the final phase of a general election, with the military-backed party already securing a commanding parliamentary majority.

The vote comes amid an ongoing civil war and follows two earlier election rounds that delivered decisive wins for the ruling alliance despite noticeably lower voter participation nationwide.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party has already won 193 of 209 lower house seats and 52 of 78 upper house seats from votes held in late December and mid-January.

However, voter turnout stood near 55%, significantly lower than the roughly 70% participation recorded during the 2015 and 2020 elections held un...