Myanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing Elected President

Yangon. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has been elected as the President of Myanmar. He was elected on Friday with the support of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the military-dominated parliament.

Hlaing became president after defeating opposition retired General Nyo Saw. In parliament, Hlaing received 429 votes, while Saw received 126 votes.

The 69-year-old army chief's rise to power began in 2021 after he ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and had her arrested. This triggered widespread protests across the country.

These protests eventually turned into armed resistance against the military government, plunging the country into five years of civil war and political instability. Min assumed the presidency following the results of the elections held in December-January.

The military-backed party secured a landslide victory in those elections. Western governments criticized the polls as a sham designed to maintain military rule under the guise of democracy.

Military-appointed lawmakers and members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party supported Hlaing in the vote. With this, he has transitioned his authority from army chief to civilian president.

Analysts have described this as a clear example of power consolidation in Myanmar and military rule masked by a democratic facade.

Since the military coup five years ago, the country has been facing widespread instability, economic crisis, and the displacement of thousands of citizens.