NAYPYITAW
– Myanmar’s parliament has elected a close friend and confidant of Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as president, making Htin Kyaw the first head of
state who does not hail from a military background since the 1960’s.

Suu Kyi
led her National League for Democracy (NLD) to a landslide election win in
November, but a constitution drafted by the former junta bars her from the top
office.

She has
vowed to run the country anyway through a proxy president, and on Thursday the
NLD nominated Htin Kyaw for the role. He runs a charity founded by Suu Kyi and
has been a trusted member of her inner circle since the mid-1990s. He is not a
lawmaker.

“Today’s
result is because of the love of people for her. It is the victory of my sister
Aung San Suu Kyi,” Htin Kyaw told reporters after the vote.

The
NLD’s sizeable majority ensured a comfortable win for Suu Kyi’s pick in a vote
by both houses of parliament. Htin Kyaw received 360 of the 652 votes cast.

Suu Kyi
was the first member of parliament to vote and clapped and smiled when the
result was announced.

Outgoing
President Thein Sein issued a statement congratulating the man who will replace
him on April 1.

“On
behalf of the nation and the people, I take pride in your being elected as the
president,” Thein Sein said in the statement.

The still-powerful military holds a quarter of the seats in
parliament and had the right under the constitution to nominate one of the
three candidates for president. Its candidate, retired general Myint Swe,
received 213 votes, making him the first vice president.

– Reuters