Myanmar's Union Parliament has elected Min Aung Hlaing as the new president on April 3, with U Soe Nyunt and Naw Nini Aye chosen as the first and second vice-presidents of the country. So what is behind these electoral results?
Myanmar's newly-elected president Min Aung Hlaing (center) and vice-presidents U Soe Nyunt (left) and Naw Nini Aye
This election is acturally not an open political competition, but rather the final step in the military-led "handover to civilian rule" process. Min Aung Hlaing's earlier resignation as Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services was precisely to comply with the constitutional provision that "the president shall not be an active-duty military officer."
The Union Parliament consists of the House of Representatives (Pyithu Hluttaw), the House of Nationalities (Amyotha Hluttaw), and the military-appointed lawmakers. In the general election held from late 2025 to early 2026, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) secured a majority of seats. Combined with the military's mandatory 25% of parliamentary seats, the pro-military forces firmly control an absolute majority of votes in parliament.
Min Aung Hlaing was nominated by the House of Representatives and received 247 votes in the preliminary ballot — a strong show of support that signals his "endorsed" candidacy following internal military coordination. If he had not been chosen as the president, it would have indicated a major rift within the military's power structure.
The other two candidates, U Soe Nyunt and Naw Nini Aye, existed in the political process more to complete the power structure than to truly compete for the top position.
Myanmar's Union Parliament elects Min Aung Hlaing as the new president on April 3, with U Soe Nyunt and Naw Nini Aye chosen as the first and second vice-presidents of the country.
As the candidate nominated by the military's parliamentary group, the current Prime Minister U Soe Nyunt served as a "safeguard." If Min Aung Hlaing had unexpectedly failed to secure the presidency, he could have stepped in as the military's backup candidate. However, U Soe Nyunt was elected as First Vice President and continue to handle administrative affairs as expected.
Naw Nini Aye was the first female presidential candidate nominated by the House of Nationalities. Her role is to demonstrate the regime's symbolic attention to ethnic affairs and gender equality, while also serving as a link between the military and the USDP. So she became Second Vice President.
The election results show Myanmar's core power structure remains unchanged. Although Min Aung Hlaing has stepped down as Commander-in-Chief, his successor, Ye Win Oo, is a long-time confidant. By trading his military uniform for the presidency, Min Aung Hlaing has achieveg a soft landing — governing Myanmar as a civilian figure.
The West will see the election as "a change in name only," making it difficult for the new Myanmar government to gain western recognition. For neighboring countries such as China, the election means that Myanmar has entered a predictable, military-dominated period of stability, which will facilitate future cooperations in tele-scam, border security and others.
