Published March 15, 2016
Myanmar's parliament has opened a historic session to elect the country's new president.
Htin Kyaw, a longtime confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, is expected to be selected in Tuesday's vote by 652 members of parliament. Five lawmakers were absent from the 657-seat legislature.
He is among three final candidates to become the country's first democratically elected leader in more than half a century.
Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy party to a sweeping victory in Nov. 8 elections but is blocked by the constitution from becoming president.
Her party nominated Htin Kyaw and another NLD lawmaker Henry Van Tio. A military bloc in parliament nominated Myint Swe, a hard-line retired lieutenant general. The winner becomes president and the two others become vice presidents.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/historic-vote-begins-in-myanmar-parliament-for-new-president