Myanmar’s parliament elects ruling general as president, keeping army in charge

Myanmar’s parliament elected military chief Min Aung Hlaing as president, five years after his 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi. The election, dominated by army-backed lawmakers, is seen as a move to maintain military control despite nominally restoring an elected government

Bangkok: Myanmar’s parliament on Friday elected Min Aung Hlaing, a general who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in 2021 and kept an iron grip on power for the past five years, as the country’s new president.

The move marks a nominal return to an elected government but is widely considered to be an effort to keep the army in power after an election organised by the military that opponents and independent observers deemed neither free nor fair.

Min Aung Hlaing was one of three nominees for the president’s post, but was virtually guaranteed the job as lawmakers from military-backed parties and appointed members from the army hold a commanding majority in parliament.