Myanmar’s parliament will start the process for the presidential election on March 30, according to officials, a vote many analysts expect will be won by the head of the junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.
Following a controversial election that was won by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the military and the upper and lower houses of parliament will nominate a presidential candidate.
After a vetting process, the parliament will elect one of the three as president, officials of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw said at an event that was broadcast by state media. The other two candidates will serve as vice presidents.
The officials did not disclose how long the vetting process for the candidates will take, or when the vote for president will take place.
Commander-in-Chief To Step Down?
Senior General and Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to win the presidential elections and become the head of state of Myanmar.
Htin Kyaw Aye, an independent analyst, said that he expected the general to step down as the head of the military before March 30th, as the country’s constitution does not allow a civil servant to be a presidential candidate.
“Since Min Aung Hlaing aspires to the presidency, he must step down from his current role as Commander-in-Chief to be eligible under the 2008 constitution,” the Thailand-based analyst said.
He stated that the military and the army-backed USDP would continue to dominate the country’s politics after the phased election held in December and January.
“This is not a transition to democracy, but rather a transformation from a military-clad dictatorship to a civilian-clothed one,” he said.
Myanmar has faced political turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted the elected civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The coup triggered a widespread protest that subsequently morphed into an armed rebellion against the junta across the country.
(With inputs from Reuters)
