Myanmar MPs choose Suu Kyi’s close ally as new president

Myanmar’s parliament chose a close ally of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the country’s new president on Wednesday. The move is unlikely to affect a delicate balance of power in a country where the army has retained a large political role, Reuters said. Win Myint, 66, resigned from his post as the lower house speaker a week ago. He was chosen by both chambers of parliament, in which Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party holds a comfortable majority. The outgoing president, Htin Kyaw, who was also close to Suu Kyi, retired “in order to take rest from the current duties and responsibilities.” Kyaw Tote, a lawmaker from the NLD, said that “there won’t be policy changes.”