The announcement, which was made public through a state-owned media report, came a day after the national defence and security council, consisting of senior members of the military and government, met in the capital, Naypyitaw, and issued a statement blaming pro-democracy, anti-military groups that are “committing killings of innocent people, blowing up public places, imposing armed intimidation and coercion on the people.”

The groups, it said, include the National Unity Government, the parallel government formed by exiled lawmakers and others who declared armed resistance in September 2021.

A state-owned TV network also reported Wednesday that the decision was made at the meeting on Tuesday, where Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing himself said that time would be needed to restore public order for the polls.

It also said that the constitutional court had judged that “the extension of the state of emergency is constitutional.”

The state of emergency was initially declared in February 2021, when the military ousted the democratically elected government of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The country’s constitution states that an emergency can be declared for an initial period of one year and can “normally” be extended for a maximum of two half-year terms at the discretion of the national defence and security council.

The law also says the government needs to hold a general election within six months from the end of the emergency, which was expected on Jan 31.

The military regime has been preparing to hold elections by August, but the latest extension of the state of emergency will likely delay the polls.