Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected as Vice-President by the nation’s parliament on March 31, 2026. File
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected a Vice-President (V-P) by the decrease home on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), parliament officers mentioned, with the coup chief edging nearer to changing into the nation’s civilian chief.
Myanmar’s former commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing has led Myanmar since 2021, when he ousted the elected authorities of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered civil struggle.
His election units in movement a course of for him to trade his uniform for civilian garments, because the nation’s parliament selects three V-Ps, one among whom is then chosen as president.
On the decrease home flooring Tuesday morning (March 31), MPs queued up at a row of tables and dropped their ballots into one among three clear-sided packing containers.
“The decrease home of elected MPs publicizes Senior Common Min Aung Hlaing as a vice-president,” decrease home speaker Khin Yi mentioned after the vote.
The junta chief acquired 247 of the 260 votes, a parliament official mentioned, based on a stay broadcast.
The higher home elected Nan Ni Ni Aye, a regional MP from Karen State with the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Growth Celebration (USDP), as one other V-P, native media reported.
A 3rd V-P shall be chosen by the army.
A parliament-wide vote to pick out which of the three shall be elevated to president is predicted this week.
Democracy watchdogs have lengthy warned that the brand new authorities shall be a proxy of the army, which has dominated Myanmar for the overwhelming majority of its post-independence historical past.
Myanmar’s army has lengthy offered itself as the one drive guarding the restive nation from rupture and break.
The generals loosened their grip for a decade-long democratic experiment starting in 2011, permitting Aung San Suu Kyi to ascend as civilian chief and steer a interval of reform because the nation opened up.
However after Aung San Suu Kyi trounced the USDP in a landslide in 2020 elections, Min Aung Hlaing snatched again energy as he grew anxious concerning the army’s waning affect, analysts say.
After 5 years of hardline rule, the highest normal oversaw closely restricted elections that returned a walkover win for pro-military events in January.
Now the USDP – led and staffed by many retired officers – is entrenched in parliament after successful 80% of elected seats, and it’s anticipated the brand new authorities will march in lockstep with the highest brass.
Min Aung Hlaing is predicted to handle a fastidiously orchestrated transition to changing into president, after he handed over the reins of the army to loyalist Ye Win Oo on Monday (March 30).
Printed – March 31, 2026 11:15 pm IST