Myanmar parliament announces prompt continuous session after presidential election

The parliament in Myanmar on Tuesday announced that it will continue its session on Thursday, two days after the presidential election.

It said that the upcoming session may see newly-elected President U Htin Kyaw seeking approval from the parliament for his proposal plan list of forming a new government in terms of the number of ministries and ministers with their name list.

The proposal is expected to be discussed in the parliament on the next day, reports the Xinhua news agency.

Htin Kyaw of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the presidential election Tuesday with the highest number of votes of 360 against two other presidential candidates -- U Myint Swe (213 votes) from the military and U Henry Van Htee Yu (79 votes) from the same party, becoming the country's new president for the next five-year term.

A total of 652 MPs from the two Houses cast their votes in the Union Parliament, chaired by Speaker U Mann Win Khaing Than.

Myanmar ruling party has revealed that the new government, which is to take office at the end of this month, will cut the number of ministries by merging some of them to one, but will not reduce the number of ministries' employees who will be made use to reinforce other ministries in need.

The party insisted that chief ministers of all 14 regions and states are to be assigned with elected NLD parliament representatives only.

Of the new government cabinet members, the NLD will take up 30- 40 percent only and the rest will come from other parties and outside experts, NLD said before the presidential election.