Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing steps down
Min Aung Hlaing, the general who led Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, has stepped down from his role as army chief to contest the presidency following the country’s first election since the takeover.
The 69-year-old, who has headed Myanmar’s armed forces since 2011, was nominated as a vice-presidential candidate by lawmakers in the newly convened lower house of parliament. Under Myanmar’s constitutional process, the lower and upper houses each nominate a candidate, while the military bloc—guaranteed parliamentary representation—puts forward a third. One of the three nominees will be as president in a subsequent vote, though a date has yet to be announced.
The nomination was confirmed during a parliamentary session by a legislator from the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party, which secured a dominant share of seats in the recent election.
The polls, held in December and January, took place amid ongoing conflict and were widely criticised by the United Nations and Western governments as neither free nor fair. Opposition parties were largely absent, with many leaders detained, including former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Since the coup, Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war, economic decline and a deepening humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and widespread violence reported. Analysts say Min Aung Hlaing’s presidential bid could entrench military dominance further, raising concerns about the prospects for democratic restoration and national reconciliation.
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