Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has won the parliamentary elections and assumed the post of President of the country, formally strengthening his political hold in the war-torn country. This step comes five years after the removal of the elected government which he had ousted from power. Today, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing emerged victorious by winning 429 votes out of 584 votes cast by MPs in the country’s military-backed Parliament. Aung Lin Dwe, speaker of the joint upper and lower houses of parliament, confirmed this.
69-year-old General Min Aung Hlaing ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and placed her under house arrest as part of the 2021 Myanmar coup. The move sparked widespread protests, which later escalated into nationwide armed resistance against the military leadership. The transition from top general to civilian president came after one-sided elections in December and January, in which the military-backed party won a landslide victory. Critics and Western governments described the election as a sham, aimed at maintaining military rule under the guise of democracy.
How many parliamentary seats were won?
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won more than 80 percent of the parliamentary seats contested in the election, while current members of the armed forces hold unelected seats, making up a quarter of the total. Min Aung Hlaing’s ascension to the presidency, a position that analysts say he had long wanted to achieve.
What happened after the major restructuring in Myanmar?
This followed a major restructuring of the leadership of Myanmar’s armed forces, which he had led since 2011. Min Aung had already given up the post of Army Chief (Commander-in-Chief), because the Constitution does not allow the President to hold the highest military post simultaneously. Ye Win Oo has been his close aide and former intelligence chief and is considered extremely loyal to the general. He assumed the responsibility of this powerful post last Monday.
What will be the effect of change of power?
According to experts, this change of power in the military and Min Aung Hlaing becoming President is being seen as a strategic change, the purpose of which is to strengthen his power as the head of a nominal civilian government and gain international legitimacy. Besides, it also protects the interests of those armed forces.
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