Part 2/18:
Following this power grab, the military under Army Chief Min Aung Laing declared a one-year state of emergency, without providing a clear timeline for returning to civilian rule. The military's leader declared intentions to hold new elections after the period of emergency, but doubts linger about the sincerity and viability of this promise. Notably, the coup unfolded at a critical political juncture: just hours before Myanmar’s parliament was to meet for the first time since the election victory, revealing the military's deep-seated distrust in electoral legitimacy, which they blamed on alleged voting fraud—claims rejected by international observers but espoused by the armed forces.