The head of Myanmar’s ruling military junta, which ousted the previous government five years ago, has been elected president after winning a parliamentary vote.
Min Aung Hlaing easily passed the threshold needed to win Friday’s vote in a house dominated by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and members appointed by the armed forces, which was broadcast live.
The 69-year-old’s transfer to civilian leader followed the military-backed USDP’s landslide victory in general elections held in December and January.
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Aung San Suu Kyi in 2019. File photo: AP
Critics and Western governments dismissed the elections as a sham to continue military rule behind the facade of democracy.
Min Aung Hlaing has led the country since a coup against the government of Aung San Suu Kyi In 2021, civil war will break out.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was arrested, sparking widespread protests that grew into nationwide armed resistance against the junta.
The general, who has led the armed forces since 2011, has long been a presidential hopeful, according to the Independent myanmar “It appears that his dreams are now becoming a reality,” said analyst Aung Kyaw Soe.
Protests against the military coup in 2021. File photo: Reuters
On Monday, when he was nominated in parliament as a presidential candidate, Min Aung Hlaing anointed former intelligence chief Ye Win Oo, who is seen as a staunch loyalist, as his successor to lead the military.
Earlier this week, some anti-junta groups — including the remnants of Suu Kyi’s party and long-time ethnic minority forces — joined in a new united front to confront the military.
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The Steering Council for the Emergence of the Federal Democratic Union said on Monday they wanted to “completely eliminate all forms of dictatorship” and “collectively launch a new political landscape.”
Analysts said resistance groups were likely to face intense military pressure as well as increased scrutiny from neighboring countries, which may seek to strengthen their ties with the new administration of Min Aung Hlaing.
The handover of the military and Min Aung Hlaing’s ascension to the presidency is seen by analysts as a strategic pivot to consolidate his power as head of a nominally civilian government and earn international legitimacy, while also protecting the interests of the armed forces, which have directly run the country for five of the past six decades.
