| National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, second left, arrives in Manama’s parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on March 15, 2016. Photo: AP |
NAYPYITAW (Myanmar) — Myanmar’s parliament has opened a historic session to elect the country’s new president.
Mr Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, is expected to be selected in Tuesday’s (March 15) vote by 652 members of parliament. Five lawmakers were absent from the 657-seat legislature.
He is among three final candidates to become the country’s first democratically elected leader in more than half a century.
Ms Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy party to a sweeping victory in Nov 8 elections but is blocked by the constitution from becoming president.
Her party nominated Htin Kyaw and another NLD lawmaker Henry Van Tio. A military bloc in parliament nominated Myint Swe, a hard-line retired lieutenant general. The winner becomes president and the two others become vice presidents. AP
