Myanmar military has declared a state of emergency for one year, reported AFP. It also appointed a general as the acting president.

An announcement on military-owned Myawaddy TV said the move was needed to preserve the “stability” of the state, accusing the country’s election commission of failing to address “huge irregularities” in the November election.

This happened after the country’s top leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, were detained early Monday morning.

Myo Nyunt, the spokesperson of the in-power National League for Democracy, had told Reuters that the leaders had been “taken” in the early hours of the morning.

“I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law,” he said, adding that the move was suspected by him.

Early on Monday, the phone lines across the national capital, Naypyitaw, were out of order for the most.

Also read: Myanmar army plays down coup rhetoric as fears swirl

“The telecommunication disruptions, beginning approximately 3 am Monday morning local time, have a significant subnational impact including the capital, and are likely to limit coverage of events as they take place,” said the Netblocks civil society group.

The military had last week signalled it could seize power to settle its claims of irregularities in the polls, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily, AFP reported.