Myanmar parliament elects Suu Kyi ally Htin Kyaw as 1st civilian president in 50 years

Myanmar elects Htin Kyaw as first civilian president in 50 years

(Image credit: Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images)

published 15 March 2016

On Tuesday, Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the country's first civilian president in more than five decades. The lower house had nominated Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old writer and longtime ally and confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy advocate whose National League for Democracy (NLD) won big majorities in both houses of parliament in historic November elections. Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency due to a clause in the constitution widely seen as designed specifically to bar her election; she says she will run the country anyway.

Htin Kyaw secured at least 360 of the 652 ballots cast to beat a candidate nominated by the upper house and another one put forward by the military. The military candidate, Myint Swe, came in second with 213 votes and will be first vice president. The third candidate, Henry Van Tio, a member of the NLD like Htin Kyaw, will become second vice president. Htin Kyaw will be sworn in April 1, replacing Thein Sein.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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