Myanmar's lower house confirms Htin Kyaw as presidential candidate

Naypyitaw

MYANMAR'S lower house of parliament voted on Friday to confirm a close friend and confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as its presidential candidate, bringing the top office a step closer for the man expected to rule as her proxy.

The vote in the lower house for the presidential nominee was never in doubt as Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) holds an outright majority following a crushing electoral win in November. NLD candidate Htin Kyaw received 274 of the 317 votes cast.