President of Myanmar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Flag of Myanmar
State seal of Myanmar
Incumbent Min Aung Hlaing since 22 July 2024
Style	His Excellency (formal)
Member of	Cabinet (normally) National Defence and Security Council
Residence	Presidential Palace
Seat	Naypyidaw
Nominator	Assembly of the Union
Appointer	Presidential Electoral College
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Myanmar
Precursor	Governor of Burma
Formation	4 January 1948
First holder	Sao Shwe Thaik
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	K5 million/US$ 2,385 per month

The President of Myanmar (Burmese: နိုင်ငံတော်‌ သမ္မတ; MLCTS: nuing ngam tau samma.ta.) is the main leader of Myanmar. This person is both the head of state and the head of government. The President usually leads the country's government, called the Cabinet of Myanmar. They also lead the National Defence and Security Council, which handles Myanmar's safety.

Right now, Min Aung Hlaing is the acting President. He is also the head of the military and the prime minister. He took over from Acting President Myint Swe in July 2024. Myint Swe had been put in power by Min Aung Hlaing after a military takeover on February 1, 2021.

The President is not chosen directly by the people of Myanmar. Instead, members of parliament vote for the President. A special group called the Presidential Electoral College, made of different members of parliament, chooses three candidates. Then, all members of parliament vote for one of these three.

After the 2015 election, a special role called State Counsellor of Myanmar was created. This was for Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won the election. She could not become President herself due to a rule. She acted as the main government leader until the military took over in 2021.

What the President Does

The President of Myanmar is the country's top leader. This important job was created in 1948, when Myanmar became independent from the United Kingdom. Since then, eleven different people have held this position.

Myanmar has had long periods of military rule. Because of this, the actual power of the President has changed over time. Sometimes, a military leader has held the most power, even if someone else was officially the President.

In 2011, the role of Prime Minister was removed. The new Constitution said that the President would be both the head of state and the head of government. But in 2016, the State Counsellor role was created for Aung San Suu Kyi. She was the main leader until the military took power in 2021. The President is the only one who can call meetings of the National Defence and Security Council. This group is very important for Myanmar's safety.

Who Can Be President?

The Constitution of Myanmar lists the rules for who can become President. These rules are found in Chapter 1 of the Constitution. To be President, a person must be:

• A citizen of Myanmar.
• At least 45 years old.
• Able to be elected as a member of the National Assembly.

The Constitution also says the President must:

• Be loyal to Myanmar and its people.
• Be a citizen of Myanmar whose parents were both born in Myanmar and are Myanmar citizens.
• Know a lot about Myanmar's politics, government, economy, and military.
• Have lived in Myanmar for at least 20 years before being elected. (Time spent in another country with Myanmar's permission still counts).
• Not have a parent, spouse, child, or their spouse who is loyal to a foreign country or is a citizen of a foreign country.
• Have all the other qualities needed to be elected to parliament.

Once someone becomes President, they are not allowed to be part of any political party activities.

How the President Is Chosen

The President is not chosen directly by the people of Myanmar. Instead, a special group called the Presidential Electoral College chooses them. This college has three different committees:

• One committee is made of members of parliament from different regions or states.
• Another committee is made of members of parliament from different towns.
• The third committee is made of military members of parliament chosen by the commander-in-chief of the Defence Services.

Each of these three committees suggests one person to be President. Then, all the members of parliament vote for one of these three people. The person with the most votes becomes President. The other two people become Vice-Presidents. The President serves for five years. If a President leaves office early, the Electoral College meets again to choose someone to finish the term.

This way of choosing a President is similar to how it was done under the 1947 Constitution. Back then, members of parliament from two different chambers voted for the President.

History of the Presidency

Before Myanmar became independent, it had different rules for its government. After gaining independence in 1948, Myanmar used three different constitutions: in 1947, 1974, and 2008. The 2008 constitution is the one used today.

Before Independence

Before 1948, Myanmar was ruled by the British. Different British officials, like chief commissioners and lieutenant governors, were in charge. From 1937, Myanmar became a separate British colony with its own elected parliament. A British Governor led the government. During World War II, Japan also occupied Myanmar for a time.

Myanmar became an independent country in 1948. It had a President from 1948 to 1962, and then again from 1974 to 1988. Between these times, and from 1988 to 2011, military governments ruled Myanmar. The job of President was brought back in 2011.

1947 Constitution

The 1947 constitution was the first one used after Myanmar became independent. It was used until 1962, when the military took over. This constitution set up three parts of government: judicial (courts), legislative (law-making), and executive (carrying out laws). The law-making part had two chambers: the Chamber of Nationalities and the Chamber of Deputies.

1974 Constitution

The 1974 constitution was approved in 1973. It created a single law-making body called the People's Assembly. Only members of the Burma Socialist Programme Party could be in this assembly. Each term lasted four years. Ne Win became President under this constitution.

2008 Constitution

In 2008, Myanmar's military government released a new constitution. They said it would help Myanmar return to democracy. However, some people believed it still gave the military too much control.

2012 and 2015 Elections

Even though the National League for Democracy (NLD) party had opposed the 2008 constitution, they took part in the 2012 elections. They won many seats, and Aung San Suu Kyi became a member of parliament.

In the 2015 election, the NLD won by a lot. On March 15, 2016, the parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the 9th President of Myanmar. He resigned in 2018, and Myint Swe became acting President. Later, on March 28, 2018, the parliament elected Win Myint as the 10th President.

More to Explore

• Myanmar
  • Politics of Myanmar
  • List of colonial governors of Burma
  • List of presidents of Myanmar
  • Vice President of Myanmar
  • Prime Minister of Myanmar
  • State Counsellor of Myanmar
• Lists of office-holders