Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing elected president by pro-military parliament
Myanmar’s parliament has elected Min Aung Hlaing as president, formalising his move from junta chief to civilian leader five years after the 2021 coup, as conflict continues and resistance groups regroup.
Myanmar’s former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has been elected president in a parliamentary vote, cementing his grip on power five years after he led the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, according to Reuters.
The vote took place in a parliament dominated by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the armed forces’ bloc of appointed lawmakers, after elections held in December and January that critics and Western governments have dismissed as lacking legitimacy.
Min Aung Hlaing, 69, had led Myanmar’s armed forces since 2011 and stepped aside from the commander-in-chief role during the presidential process, appointing Ye Win Oo, a former intelligence chief widely viewed as loyal to him, as his successor.
Analysts quoted by Reuters said the shift from top general to civilian president appears aimed at consolidating military control under a nominally civilian administration and seeking greater international legitimacy while safeguarding the armed forces’ interests.
Despite the change in title, Myanmar remains gripped by a multi-front conflict, with resistance forces continuing to challenge the military. Reuters reported that anti-junta groups—including elements linked to Suu Kyi’s party and ethnic minority armies—have moved this week to coordinate under a new combined front.
