Myanmar’s military junta has ended emergency rule and announced elections for December, four years after seizing power in a coup, according to Firstpost.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 takeover, will head an 11-member commission to oversee the vote. Critics have dismissed the move as a sham, warning it’s aimed at extending Hlaing’s grip on power.

Ahead of the announcement, the junta introduced a harsh election law with punishments of up to death for disrupting the process.

The civil war continues, with the military reportedly controlling just 20 percent of the country, Firstpost reported.