On Friday, legislators from the main union Solidarity and Development Party and armed forces appointed from military quotas endorsed Min Aung Hlaing, with the former commander-in-chief winning the vote by a landslide.
Despite initially trailing retired general and junta Prime Minister Nyo Saw, Min Aung Hlaing took the lead, garnering 429 votes to Nyo Saw’s 126.
‘Dreams are becoming reality’
Min Aung Hlaing’s ascension to the presidency – something analysts say he had long sought – follows a major reshuffle of the leadership of Myanmar’s armed forces, which he has led since 2011.
On Monday, as soon as he was named presidential candidate, he anointed former intelligence chief Ye Win Oo, who is seen as a staunch loyalist, as his successor to lead the military.