Myanmar’s parliament on Friday elected former junta commander General Min Aung Hlaing as president following a contested legislative vote.
The result comes after national ballots held in December and January that the United Nations and Western governments denounced as a sham intended to legalize continued military control. Min Aung Hlaing resigned as commander-in-chief earlier this week to enter the presidential contest and secured the required parliamentary majority, winning 429 of 584 votes. The military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party holds more than 80% of parliamentary seats.
Aged 69, Min Aung Hlaing has been the country’s de facto leader since the 2021 coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. Aung San Suu Kyi was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison in proceedings criticized by rights groups as politically motivated. Ahead of the vote, Min Aung Hlaing transferred command of the armed forces to Ye Win Oo, a close ally widely described as the military chief’s key lieutenant.
The country remains embroiled in a civil war since the coup, with nearly 93,000 people killed and more than 3.6 million displaced. Observers say the change represents a formal shift from overt military rule to a presidential arrangement but does not amount to a substantive redistribution of power away from the military.
Born into the Dawei ethnic community, Min Aung Hlaing studied law before entering officer training on his third attempt and then built a long military career. He advanced through the ranks and gained prominence during operations against ethnic insurgent groups.
International criticism of Min Aung Hlaing intensified after the 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya, which drove about 750,000 people to flee to Bangladesh and drew accusations of crimes against humanity. His 2021 seizure of power toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and triggered the sustained nationwide conflict that continues today.