Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected president on Friday (April 3) after breezing through a parliamentary vote, formalising his grip on political power in the war-torn nation five years after he ousted an elected government in a coup.

His carefully choreographed journey from top general to civilian president follows a lopsided election in December and January that was won in a landslide by an army-backed party and derided by critics and Western governments as a sham to perpetuate military rule behind a veneer of democracy.

The 69-year-old general has had a torrid time in power since he toppled the administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and put her under arrest, sparking widespread protests that morphed into nationwide armed resistance against the junta.

On Friday, lawmakers from the dominant Union Solidarity and Development Party and the military's quota of appointed armed forces legislators coalesced to back Min Aung Hlaing, with the former commander-in-chief winning the vote by a huge margin.

Despite initially trailing to Nyo Saw, a retired general and the junta's prime minister, Min Aung Hlaing pulled ahead to win 429 votes to Nyo Saw's 126.

'Dreams becoming reality'

Min Aung Hlaing's ascent to the presidency – a position that analysts say he has long sought – followed a major reshuffle in the leadership of Myanmar's armed forces, which he had led since 2011.