YANGON -- Myanmar kicked off the second phase of its multi-party democratic general election on Sunday morning, with polling stations opening across 100 townships.

Voting began at 6 am local time in areas scheduled for the second phase, which include a mix of urban and rural constituencies across 12 of the 14 regions and states.

The general election is being held in three phases. The first phase took place in 102 townships on Dec 28 last year, while the third phase is scheduled for Jan 25 in 63 townships.

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After the first phase of the election on Dec 28 last year, the Union Election Commission (UEC) announced that over 100 representatives were elected to the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House), more than 30 to the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), and over 100 to the Region and State Hluttaws (State and Region Parliaments).

The UEC said that voting in the three phases of the election covers a total of 692 constituencies across the country, and about 5,000 candidates from 57 political parties were competing for seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw, the Amyotha Hluttaw, and the State and Region Hluttaws.

The election will produce the elected members of the Union Parliament (Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw) and State and Region Parliaments; the new Union Parliament will then elect a new president, who will form a new Union Government.

The UEC said it plans to set up over 21,000 polling stations nationwide for all three phases of the general election.