Naypyidaw : Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) today formally nominated U Htin Kyaw, a senior aide of leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be its first democratically elected president.
The formal announcement was made in a session of the lower house.
In the upper house the NLD nominated 57-year-old Henry Van Thio as its choice for vice president.
The electoral system of Myanmar requires that the president be voted in from a selection of names put forward by lawmakers and the losing candidates will become vice-presidents.
Meanwhile, the military backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, which was crushed in last year’s November elections, also put forward its candidates.
Sai Mauk Kham, the current vice president, was nominated as the party’s lower house candidate, and U Khin Aung Myint, former speaker of the upper house, was expected to be named as its upper house candidate.
Both the two chambers will vote on Friday to select one candidate each.
However, the Parliament’s bloc of appointed military MPs will take part in those votes.
The military submits the name of its candidate directly to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the combined sitting of the two chambers which then votes to choose the president, first vice president and second vice president according to the constitution.
The vote is expected next week. With the NLD holding parliamentary majority, chances of U Htin Kyaw being the president is assured.
Myanmar President U Thein Sein’s term of five-years ends on March 30.
Htin Kyaw loyalty to NLD has been strongest attribution in his selection.
He has long been trusted by Suu Kyi who has repeatedly stated that being barred by the constitution from the top job will not stop her from leading the government.
The 69-year-old law economics graduate hails from an illustrious family and is a senior executive in the NLD leader’s charitable foundation. (ANI)