Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing appointed president after ‘sham’ election

Min Aung Hlaing seized control five years ago and plunged Myanmar into conflict and economic chaos Min Aung Hlaing, the military general who plunged Myanmar into conflict and economic chaos when he took power in the 2021 coup has been appointed president, months after widely condemned sham elections. Min Aung Hlaing, who is wanted by the prosecutor of the international criminal court for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority, was voted president by lawmakers on Friday. Myanmar’s parliament is dominated by the pro-military party, which won a landslide in one-sided elections earlier this year. Min Aung Hlaing has long sought the role, say analysts, but for years his ambitions were thwarted by the electoral success of the hugely popular Aung San Suu Kyi. The former de facto leader no longer poses a threat, however. The 80-year-old has been detained since the 2021 coup, when her government was ousted from power. Her party was banned from contesting recent elections, which were held across three phases from December to January. The election, which the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) won by a landslide, was widely condemned as a s