Myanmar's parliament on March 15 elected Htin Kyaw, a close aide and longtime friend of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, as the country's first civilian president in decades, the Irrawaddy and the Myanmar Times reported. Nominated by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, Htin Kyaw won 360 of 652 votes cast by Myanmar's two legislative chambers. Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by a clause in the country’s 2008 military-drafted constitution, but she has said Htin Kyaw will serve essentially as a proxy president who answers to her. Myint Swe, the military’s candidate for the presidency, received 213 votes, while the NLD’s Upper House nominee, Henry Van Thio received 79 votes. The two will serve as vice presidents. The new government will take power April 1. The NLD is in the process of forging a new power structure that does not alienate ethnic minority parties, ascendant grassroots Buddhist nationalist factions or military stalwarts.
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
Tweet