Junta could stay

'If the election is aborted (by voters) there will not be a government that's elected by vote of the people,' all state-controlled newspapers, which serve as mouthpieces for the reclusive regime, said in a commentary.

'The ruling government would have no choice but to remain in charge of state security until it holds another election. If so, this will take a long time,' it said, adding that Myanmar's plan to become a democracy took more than a decade to draft.

It was the first time the junta has made such a threat, or mentioned the possibility of a no-vote campaign ahead of the election, which critics say is a sham to cement the military's iron-fisted grip on power.

In the absence of any real opposition to two big parties backed by the military, activists and analysts say a significant boycott by voters would be the only means of expressing public opposition to the election.