Myanmar entered a new era on Wednesday as Aung San Suu Kyi’s democracy movement took power after 50 years of military domination, with a close aide of the Nobel laureate sworn in as President.
Myanmar entered a new era on Wednesday as Aung San Suu Kyi’s democracy movement took power after 50 years of military domination, with a close aide of the Nobel laureate sworn in as President.
Htin Kyaw, a school friend and confidant of the democracy champion, succeeds former General Thein Sein, who ushered in reforms that transformed Myanmar from a repressive hermit state to a nation full of hope.
As Mr Kyaw took the oath of office, he hinted he would change the Army-imposed Constitution that has excluded his friend and mentor from the top post. Ms Suu Kyi is barred from becoming President by the junta-scripted Constitution but has declared that she will steer the government anyway. Mr Kyaw is expected to act as her proxy.
The handover at the Parliament in the capital Naypyidaw marks the final act of a prolonged transition since Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party swept elections in November 2015. The NLD won 80 per cent of parliamentary seats, giving them a massive public mandate to rule. They are tasked with reviving a battered economy and a society straitjacketed by the Army, which ruled with an iron fist between 1962 and the start of reforms in 2011 under Mr Sein’s quasi-civilian administration.
Welcoming a new age of full civilian government, the bespectacled new President pledged to be “faithful to the people of the republic of the union of Myanmar”. “I will uphold and abide by the Constitution and its laws. I will carry out my responsibilities uprightly and to the best of my ability,” the 69-year-old told the chamber.
In a later ceremony at the presidential palace, Mr Sein symbolically handed over to his successor as a smiling Ms Suu Kyi looked on.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed the swearing-in of Myanmar’s new President as an “extraordinary moment” as the country emerges from military rule. Mr Obama said he looked forward to working with Mr Kyaw, but cautioned that Myanmar was facing “significant challenges going forward,” including on economic development and working to securing personal freedoms for all.
“Htin Kyaw’s inauguration represents a historic milestone in the country’s transition to a democratically elected, civilian-led government,” Mr Obama said. “This extraordinary moment in Burma’s history is a testament to its people, institutions, and leaders who have worked tog-ether to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and it speaks to the significance of the reforms the country has undertaken since 2011,” he said.
“The United States looks forward to being a friend and partner of the new government and the people of Burma as they make progress toward building a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous future.”
Suu Kyi, the standard-bearer of the fight for democracy, joins that same cabinet holding a clutch of positions including foreign minister.
In a speech later in the day Htin Kyaw signalled the NLD would continue its long-stated vow to amend the constitution to bring it up to “democratic standards” — no small order given that the military’s bloc in parliament gives it an effective veto on any such change.
