Myanmar became independent in 1948 but remained largely under military rule and has since experienced political instability. On November 8, 2020, a parliamentary election was held in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a majority while the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lost seats. The USDP and the military rejected the results, citing fraud and irregularities and called for the polls to be rerun. The electoral commission rejected the request as there was no evidence to support the claims. On February 1, 2021, the first day parliament was to meet since the election, the military seized power. There was opposition by Myanmar citizens in the form of large protests and acts of civil disobedience. A shadow government called the National Unity Government was formed with an armed resistance.