Historic vote gives Myanmar first civilian president in decades
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama’s White House yesterday welcomed Htin Kyaw’s election as Myanmar’s first civilian president in half a century, saying it was “an important step” in the country’s democratisation.
Senior Obama advisor Ben Rhodes hailed the move and noted that the 69-year-old was a “close associate” of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, a popular Nobel laureate, is herself barred from becoming president by the military drafted constitution. She is widely expected to wield power behind in an unofficial capacity.
Rhodes, who has led rapprochement with Myanmar, said Htin Kyaw’s appointment was “an important step forward in Burma’s democratic transition”.
“We look forward to working with his govt,” he wrote on Twitter.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar’s two legislative houses.
But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the junta-era constitution which bars her from the presidency.
The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule “above” the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.
Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on March 30, replacing incumbent Thein Sein.
It will be the first time Myanmar has had a civilian president since 1962 when the military seized power.
Thein Sein, a former general, led a quasi-civilian reformist Government for the last five years that has been praised for moving the nation out of the shadow of outright military rule.
For many Members of Parliament (MP) from Suu Kyi’s party, yesterday’s vote was a vindication of their long years of struggle for democracy under the repressive former junta which locked up hundreds of dissidents as it tried to stifle criticism.
The election also confirmed the two other candidates as vice-presidents: retired General Myint Swe, who is seen as a hardliner ally of former strongman Than Shwe and is on Washington’s sanctions list, and ethnic Chin MP Henry Van Thio.
