New Delhi, Dec. 29 -- Voters went to the polls Sunday for the initial phase of Myanmar's first general election in five years, held under the supervision of its military government while a civil war rages throughout much of the country.

Final results won't be known until after two more rounds of voting are completed later in January. It's widely expected that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has governed Myanmar since an army takeover in 2021, will then assume the presidency.

The military government has presented the vote as a return to democracy, but its bid for legitimacy is marred by the absence of formerly popular oppositio

Military-backed party favored

While more than 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are competing for seats in na...