Myanmar’s new parliament convened in Naypyitaw this week, with two former generals from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) elected to lead the Lower House. USDP chairman Khin Yi was chosen as speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, while fellow party member Maung Maung Ohn was appointed deputy speaker. Both men are long-time military figures, their rise reflecting the junta’s grip on political institutions since the 2021 coup. The parliament itself was formed through elections held late last year, widely criticised as engineered to exclude opposition parties. Under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, a quarter of seats are reserved for serving soldiers, ensuring the armed forces retain decisive influence. Khin Yi, a retired brigadier general, secured his seat in Zeyathiri Township, a constituency dominated by military zones. He is notorious for his role as police chief during the 2007 Saffron Revolution crackdown and for enforcing the house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He later served as immigration minister and organised pro-military rallies around the 2021 coup. Maung Maung Ohn, meanwhile, previously held the post of information minister in the junta’s cabinet before winning a seat in Tatkon constituency. The Upper House is set to convene later this week, but the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has already denounced the new assembly. Acting President Duwa Lashi La described the process as “fraudulent representation through fake elections,” insisting that the NUG remains Myanmar’s rightful leadership. The contrast with Myanmar’s last democratic election in 2020 is stark. That vote delivered a landslide victory for the National League for Democracy (NLD), only for the military to annul the results, detain Suu Kyi, and dissolve her party. As the junta seeks international legitimacy through its tightly controlled parliament, the opposition warns that the new leadership is little more than a façade—another reminder of how far Myanmar has drifted from democratic rule. -2026-03-17
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