Myanmar gets its new president

Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday elected U Htin Kyaw of the National League for Democracy as President, setting stage for Aung San Suu Kyi's trusted associate to become Myanmar's first head of government with no military background in more than 50 years.

NLD's overwhelming majority in the two combined houses of parliament ensured the election and nomination of U Htin Kyaw, a 69-year-old academic, as successor to ex-general U Thein Sein, whose five-year term ends on March 30.

U Htin secured his position with 360 votes, while ex-General U Myint Swe, the military's candidate, was elected first vice president with 213 votes.

The military bloc in parliament holds 166 seats, 25 percent of the total and the military-backed USDP led by the outgoing has 41 seats in the two houses.

NLD's upper house member of parliament, Henry Van Thio, was elected second vice president with 79 votes.

A breakdown of the numbers in the secret vote by a total of 652 MPs suggested that the alliance of the military bloc and U Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development party picked up six votes from among 57 MPs from ethnic minority parties and three independents, while the NLD took the remaining 54 votes, reports the Myanmar times.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi, who led NLD to victory last year over the military-backed USDPcannot become the president according to the constitution because her sons are foreign nationals.