Myanmar’s military VP revealed as executive trio finalised

Myanmar’s military VP revealed as executive trio finalised



YANGON: -- A military candidate joins two National League for Democracy (NLD) nominees in deliberations this week for the top executive offices in Myanmar’s new government, according to The Irrawaddy.

The selection of a president and two vice presidents from among one military and two NLD picks will take place Monday in the Union Parliament; results are expected to be announced on Tuesday.

The sitting military lawmakers from both houses put forward former Yangon chief minister Myint Swe — a Lt-Gen with a checkered past — for one of the vice presidential positions on Friday afternoon.

In Friday’s parliamentary session, Htin Kyaw, an executive committee member of an Aung San Suu Kyi-led foundation, was voted in as the Lower House’s NLD nominee for the post, and another NLD candidate, Henry Van Thio—an MP from Chin State—was selected by the Upper House.

Htin Kyaw, a close aide of Suu Kyi, garnered 274 votes against the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s (USDP) Sai Mauk Kham, the current vice president, who collected 29 votes. A total of 317 lawmakers participated in Friday’s voting session, with 14 votes invalidated.

In the Upper House, ethnic Chin lawmaker Henry Van Thio secured 148 votes, while former Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint, a sitting USDP parliamentarian, earned just 13. A total of 167 lawmakers attended Friday’s voting session, with six votes invalidated.

Of both NLD candidates, Htin Kyaw is expected to become Myanmar’s next president after the upcoming parliamentary vote.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154933


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-14