Overview
- Min Aung Hlaing won the presidency Friday with 429 of 584 votes in a joint sitting dominated by the army‑backed Union Solidarity and Development Party and military appointees.
- He stepped down as commander‑in‑chief earlier in the week to meet constitutional rules and named loyalist Ye Win Oo to lead the armed forces.
- The elevation follows December–January polls denounced as unfree, with major opponents barred, the USDP taking most contested seats, and the military holding 25% of parliament by law.
- China publicly congratulated the new government Friday, while Amnesty International cited a 2024 International Criminal Court warrant request as evidence that legal scrutiny will persist.
- An inauguration and cabinet formation are expected next week, even as the civil war grinds on with nearly 93,000 people killed and more than 3.6 million displaced.