Myanmar’s coup leader elected president by pro-military parliament

Min Aung Hlaing wins 429 out of the 584 votes cast by MPs to become the ⁠country’s president.Myanmar’s coup leader has won a parliamentary vote to become the ⁠country’s president, formalising his grip on political power in the war-torn nation five years after he ousted an elected government.Senior General Min Aung Hlaing won 429 out of the 584 votes cast by MPs in the country’s pro-military parliament on Friday, Aung Lin Dwe, the speaker of parliament’s combined upper and lower house, confirmed.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Myanmar parliament dominated by pro-military party convenes after 5 yearslist 2 of 3Myanmar’s military holds second phase of elections amid civil warlist 3 of 3Who is fighting in Myanmar’s multi-front civil war?end of listThe 69-year-old general orchestrated a 2021 Coup against the administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and placed her under arrest, ⁠prompting widespread protests that morphed into nationwide armed resistance against the military leadership.The transition from top general to civilian president follows a lopsided election in December and January that was won in a landslide by an army-backed party and derided by critics and Western governments as a sham to perpetuate military rule behind a veneer of democracy.The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party won more than 80 percent of parliamentary seats contested in the election, while serving members of the armed forces occupy unelected seats, making up a quarter of the total.In a live broadcast of Friday’s vote, Min Aung Hlaing quickly passed the threshold required to win, as many had predicted. He was ⁠among three ⁠candidates nominated for ⁠the ⁠post earlier this week. The two runners-up became vice presidents.Min Aung Hlaing’s ascent to the presidency – a position that analysts say he has long sought – followed a major reshuffle in the leadership of Myanmar’s armed forces, which he had led since 2011.