Myanmar's military-backed parliament announced it will begin selecting a new president on March 30 under the 2008 constitution, Reuters reported on March 20. Junta chief Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing will likely assume the presidency, which would require him to step down from his military role and become a civilian.

The move follows the first convening of the legislature after elections widely criticized as neither free nor fair resulted in a parliament dominated by military-aligned parties. Despite irregularities, the election represented a key step in the transition from direct junta rule to a constitutionally compliant civilian proxy government.