Myanmar president to be named on Tuesday
YANGON - The Union Parliament is going to elect its president on Tuesday after a committee has vetted the three vice-presidential nominees, said Aye Thar Aung, Deputy Speaker of the Union Parliament.
The National League for Democracy-dominated Lower House nominated Htin Kyaw as the vice president while the Upper House MPs voted for Henry Van Thio of Chin State. The military MPs nominated Myint Swe, chief minister of Yangon Region, as their representative.
Aye Thar Aung said: “I am glad a Chin national is nominated as the vice-presidential candidate. I am an Arakan national. I am very pleased that the NLD paved the way for ethnic minorities to get high posts in the Parliament. It is especially important to stop the civil wars and achieve peace. Giving minority groups important parliamentary roles will help build internal peace,” Aye Thar Aung said.
Among the three candidates, Htin Kyaw is a highly-regarded confidant of NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myint Swe served as a Yangon Region military commander and is a close confidante of retired Senior General Than Shwe. He served as a chief officer of military security affairs and gagged the media during the Rakhine riots.
He studied at Yangon University and the Defence Services Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin. He received many commendations and in 2011 won the Thayay Sithu award. He took part in the suppression of the so-called Saffron Revolution in 2007 and is said to have ordered the crackdown. In response Myint Swe said that he only did his duty and if anyone could prove he had done anything wrong, he could be hanged.
As Yangon chief minister he gave the green light for several overpasses which were seen as expensive and doing little to ease congestion. He also approved the Dagon City Project on the military-owned land near the prominent Shwe Dagon Pagoda. The project was postponed.
He was criticised for ordering attacks on students in Yangon on March 5, 2015.
Meanwhile, Henry Van Thio used to live in New Zealand and studied at the International Graduate School of Leadership in the Philippines.
His time overseas will be scrutinised by the committee.
“It looks good. Henry and his family used Myanmar passports while staying abroad. They have strong supporting documents. They are completely Myanmar citizens because of their passports so everything is OK,” Ba Myo Thein told the EMG.
“I believe [the likely president Htin Kyaw] and hope that he will be leading the country for the best,” said MP Ko Ko Naing of the USDP.
