Min Aung Hlaing has been replaced by a close ally as military commander. He will now face a three-way vote for president by a parliament mostly loyal to the army.
Myanmar clears path for junta leader to become president
Elizabeth Schumacher with AFP, Reuters
03/30/2026March 30, 2026
Min Aung Hlaing has been replaced by a close ally as military commander. He will now face a three-way vote for president by a parliament mostly loyal to the army.
Min Aung Hlaing
Min Aung Hlaing has been head of the military junta since 2021 [File: March 2023]Image: Aung Shine Oo/AP/dpa/picture alliance
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Myanmar’s junta strongman Min Aung Hlaing took a step closer to becoming the country’s civilian president on Monday after lawmakers nominated him for a three-way runoff largely seen as a formality.
The 69-year-old general has ruled Myanmar since a 2021 coup that toppled the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Amid a period of armed internal conflict, Min Aung Hlaing has overseen severe repression against dissent, including criminalizing protest.
This paved the way for landslide victories among pro-military parties in January’s parliamentary election.
Lower house MP Kyaw Kyaw Htay nominated Min Aung Hlaing as the country’s vice-president on Monday morning. A parliament-wide vote will now be held between him and two other candidates for the office of president.
Former spymaster Ye Win Oo, a close ally of Min Aung Hlaing, will replace him as military commander.
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