NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s slow transition to democracy took a momentous step Wednesday as a trusted aide to ruling party leader Aung Suu Kyi took over as the country’s president, officially ending more than 50 years of the military’s control over government.
In a day full of ceremony and symbolism, Htin Kyaw was sworn in along with his two vice presidents and 18 Cabinet ministers. Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate and face of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, takes on a prominent role as the country’s new foreign minister and the head of three other ministries.
“The Union Parliament has elected me as president, which is a historic moment for this country,” Htin Kyaw, 70, said in a speech after being sworn in.
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