NLD candidates confirmed by parliament

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NLD candidates confirmed by parliament

YANGON: U Htin Kyaw and Henry Van Thoi have been confirmed as nominees for the presidency, both easily defeating their Union Solidarity and Development Party rivals in parliamentary voting this morning.

In the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house, U Htin Kyaw – who is widely tipped for the presidency – defeated outgoing Vice President Sai Mauk Kham. The National League for Democracy candidate received 274 of the 317 votes cast, or more than 86 percent.

Union Solidarity and Development Party candidate Sai Mauk Kham, who received 29 ballots, was not present for the vote. Both he and fellow vice president U Nyan Tun, also a USDP lower house representative, took leave, along with four other representatives.

The result suggests that the NLD gained the majority of votes from ethnic minority parties, as the USDP holds 30 seats.

In the upper house, NLD nominee Henry Van Thio defeated former Speaker U Khin Aung Myint, who had been nominated Thursday by his party.

The ethnic Chin Christian MP received 148 votes to 13 for U Khin Aung Myint, with six votes invalid.

The confirmed nominees from the upper and lower house, together with a military nominee, will be vetted by a seven-member scrutiny team, whose members were announced yesterday.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154787

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-12