Historic vote hands Myanmar its first civilian president in decades

Naypyidaw

MYANMAR's lawmakers on Tuesday elected a close aide and long-time friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the country's first civilian president in decades, a historic moment for the formerly junta-run nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, hailed his elevation to the top post as "Suu Kyi's victory", a clear nod to her plan for him to serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.