Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, has been nominated as President in a parliamentary process aimed at solidifying his control over civil society. The appointment of Ye Win Oo as Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services was also announced by the Myanmar junta. Ye Win Oo replaced Min Aung Hlaing, who had been serving as Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services since 2011.
The handover ceremony for the commander-in-chief of defence services took place at the Zeyathiri Beikman in Naypyidaw. Min Aung Hlaing has been in power in Myanmar since 2021, following a coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. In a recent vote in Naypyitaw, Min Aung Hlaing was selected as President by a legislature comprising military appointees and allies of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
According to the military-drafted constitution, the bicameral parliament nominates two presidential candidates, while military representatives with 25% of parliamentary seats nominate a third candidate. The candidate receiving the most votes becomes President, with the other two becoming vice presidents. During the parliamentary session, the lower house nominated Min Aung Hlaing as a presidential candidate, while the upper house selected Union Solidarity and Development Party lawmaker Nang Ni Ni Aye.
This development follows years of military rule in Myanmar, marked by coups, the detention of elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the dismantling of democratic institutions. Recently, two former generals were appointed as speakers of the upper and lower houses of parliament. Khin Yi, a former national police chief and junta cabinet minister, was elected as the lower chamber’s speaker, while Aung Lin Dwe, a key figure in the 2021 coup, was named the upper chamber’s speaker.
