Myanmar Parliament Elects Coup Leader Min Aung Hlaing President

Myanmar's military-dominated parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing as president.

He won 429 out of 584 votes in a combined session dominated by the USDP and military appointees.

@globaltimesnews

The election followed December-January polls widely condemned as a sham.

Min Aung Hlaing stepped down as commander-in-chief and appointed a loyalist as successor.

Min Aung Hlaing cemented control after five years of military rule that plunged Myanmar into civil war.

Fighting continues in nearly 40% of townships and an estimated 93,000 have been killed.

Al Jazeera

Human rights groups warned his presidency could entrench impunity.

Analysts described the transition as a strategic pivot to consolidate power.

“Responding to the news that parliamentarians loyal to former Senior General Min Aung Hlaing voted him in as the next president of Myanmar on 3 April, Amnesty International Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman said: “If Min Aung Hlaing thinks that an official civilian title will shield him from prosecution for the many grave violations of international law that he is accused of overseeing as head of the military, that is not how international justice works”

Amnesty International

Critics saw it as an attempt to provide democratic legitimacy for military rule.

The move sets the stage for new constitutional changes.

The UN Secretary-General voiced concern about the election's credibility.

The ICC has sought arrest warrants for Min Aung Hlaing.

Arab News PK

The decision risks galvanizing resistance forces within Myanmar.