NAYPYIDAW
Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, has officially been elected as the country’s President. The move comes after a series of votes where he secured the top spot among three nominees. Joining him in leadership are two Vice Presidents: Nyo Saw, a long-time military loyalist, and Nan Ni Ni Aye, a prominent figure from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party.
To prepare for his new role, Min Aung Hlaing recently stepped down from his position as commander-in-chief, handing those duties over to General Ye Win Oo during a formal ceremony in the capital earlier this week. Under Myanmar’s current rules, the Union Parliament chooses the President from a pool of three vice-presidential candidates. This week’s decision follows a general election held between December and January, where the military-supported party claimed victory. However, most opposition groups were barred from even taking part in that vote.
Min Aung Hlaing has been the face of power in Myanmar since 2021, when he led a coup to remove the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. At the time, he claimed the 2020 election results were fraudulent, using that excuse to declare a state of emergency. Since the takeover, the military has canceled previous election results, dissolved the main opposition party, and detained thousands of activists and leaders. While the junta describes this latest transition as a constitutional step, many international observers see it as a way to further solidify military control over the nation’s future.
