Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing secured the presidency through a parliamentary vote on Friday, cementing his control over the Southeast Asian nation five years after seizing power in a coup.
The 69-year-old general won 429 out of 584 votes cast by lawmakers in Myanmar's pro-military parliament, according to parliamentary speaker Aung Lin Dwe. His victory was broadcast live and widely anticipated given the military's dominance of the legislature.
The transition from military commander to civilian president follows elections in December and January that international observers dismissed as fraudulent. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party captured more than 80 percent of contested seats, while military appointees fill an additional quarter of parliament under Myanmar's constitution.
Min Aung Hlaing orchestrated the February 2021 coup that toppled Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, placing her under arrest and triggering nationwide protests that evolved into armed resistance. The power grab plunged Myanmar into civil war that has killed nearly 93,000 people and displaced millions more.
To assume the presidency, Min Aung Hlaing relinquished his military command on Monday, appointing loyalist Ye Win Oo, a former intelligence chief, as his successor. Myanmar's constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position.
Frames the election as formalizing Min Aung Hlaing's grip on power in a war-torn nation. Emphasizes the fraudulent nature of recent elections and ongoing civil war resistance.