Myanmar's parliament elects Suu Kyi confidant as president

[NAYPYITAW] Myanmar's parliament elected a close friend and confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as president on Tuesday, making Htin Kyaw the first head of state who does not hail from a military background since the 1960s.

Ms Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) to a landslide election win in November, but a constitution drafted by the former junta bars her from the top office.

She has vowed to run the country anyway through a proxy, and on Thursday the NLD nominated Mr Htin Kyaw for the role. He runs a charity founded by Ms Suu Kyi and has been a trusted member of her inner circle since the mid-1990s. He is not a lawmaker.

Mr Htin Kyaw received 360 votes of the 652 cast, the parliamentary official counting the votes said on Tuesday.

REUTERS