March 15 – Htin Kyaw, NLD party’s candidate as well as Pyithu Hluttaw’s presidential candidate, was elected as a Myanmar 9th president with 360 votes out of 626 in the two houses of Parliment. Myint Swe, submitted by the representatives of the Tatmadaw (the Armed Forces), will be first Vice President with 213 votes. Henry Van Thio, the NLD’s other candidate, will be second vice president with 79 votes. Those three will serve as leaders for the next five-year term of Myanmar’s government.
Htin Kyaw has become the 9th Head of State following those listed as below, since Myanmar independence:
| Name | Term of Office |
|---|---|
| Sao Shwe Theik | 4.1.1988 to 12.3.1952 |
| Dr Ba Oo | 13.3.1957 to 2.3.1962 |
| Win Maung@ Mahn Win Maung | 2.3.1974 to 9.11.1981 |
| Nay Win | 9.11.1981 to 25.7.1988 |
| San Yu | 27.7.1988 to12.8.1988 |
| Dr.Maung Maung | 19.8.1988 to 18.9.1988 |
| Thein Sein | 30.3.2010 to 30.3.2016 |
Htin Kyaw was born on July 20 1946 in Konchangon. He is son of late poet, writer and scholar Min Thu Won, an elected a National League Democracy (NLD) Member of Parliament in 1999. He got married to Su Su Lwin, daughter of U Lwin, a former deputy Prime Minister of Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) regime as well as co-founder of NLD. Htin Kyaw is also a writer, writing under the pen name Dala Ban, a famous Mon warrior. He has written a biographical book about his father Min Thu Wun.
Htin Kyaw will be the first civilian president for over 50 years. He graduated with a Master in Economics specialized in statistics in 1968. He then moved to University Computer Center as programmer/system analyst in 1970. He pursued further studies with the Institute of Computer Science, University of London in 1971–1972 and in Arthur D. Little School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1987. Currently, He has been working as an Executive Committee Member at Daw Khin Kyi (mother of Aung San Su Kyi) Foundation.
Ministries Restructured
March 17 – Htin Kyaw, the new president, restructured the existing government ministries from 36 to 21 as follows:
| Old Ministries | New Ministries | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 1 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| 2 | Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation | 2 | Ministry of Agriculture and livestock and Irrigartion |
| 3 | Ministry of Livestock, fisheries and Rural Development | ||
| 4 | Ministry of Co-operative | ||
| 5 | Ministry of Transport | 3 | Ministry of Transport and Communication |
| 6 | Ministry of Rail Transport | ||
| 7 | Ministry of Communication and Information Technology | ||
| 8 | Ministry of Culture | 4 | Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture |
| 9 | Ministry of Religious Affairs | ||
| 10 | Ministry of Enviromental Conservation and Forestry | 5 | Ministry of Natural Resources and Enviromental Conservation |
| 11 | Ministry of Mines | ||
| 12 | Ministry of Electric Power | 6 | Ministry of Electric Power and Energy |
| 13 | Ministry of Energy | ||
| 14 | Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security | 7 | Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population |
| 15 | Ministry of Immigration and Population | ||
| 16 | Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development | 8 | Ministry of Planning Finance |
| 17 | Ministry of Finance | ||
| 18 | Ministry of Industry | 9 | Ministry of Industry |
| 19 | Ministry of Health | 10 | Ministry of Health |
| 20 | Ministry of Sport | ||
| 21 | Ministry of Education | 11 | Ministry of Education |
| 22 | Ministry of Science and Technology | ||
| 23 | Ministry of Construction | 12 | Ministry of Construction |
| 24 | Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement | 13 | Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement |
| 25 | Ministry of Hotels and Tourism | 14 | Ministry of Hotels and Tourism |
| 26 | Ministry of Commerce | 15 | Ministry of Commerce |
| 27 | Ministry of Information | 16 | Ministry of Information |
| 28 | Ministry of President Office- 1 | 17 | Ministry of President Office |
| 29 | Ministry of President Office-2 | ||
| 30 | Ministry of President Office-3 | ||
| 31 | Ministry of President Office-4 | ||
| 32 | Ministry of President Office-5 | ||
| 33 | Ministry of President Office-6 | ||
| 34 | Ministry of Home Affairs | 18 | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| 35 | Ministry of Defence | 19 | Ministry of Defence |
| 36 | Ministry of Border Affairs | 20 | Ministry of Border Affairs |
| 21 | Ministry of Ethnic Affairs |
The six ministries under the President Office will be combined into one. Ministry of Ethnic Affairs will be a new ministry.
Htin Kyaw’s First Cabinet of April 2016 will be as follows:
| No | Office | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ministry of Foreign Affair | H.E. Aung San Su Kyi |
| 2 | Ministry of President’s Office | |
| 3 | Ministry of Education | |
| 4 | Ministry of Electric Power and Energy | |
| 5 | Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation | H.E. Dr Aung Thu |
| 6 | Ministry of Transport and communication | H.E. Thant Sin Maung |
| 7 | Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture | H.E. Thura Aung Ko |
| 8 | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation | H.E. Ohn Win |
| 9 | Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population | H.E. Thein Swe |
| 10 | Ministry of Planning and Finance | H.E. Kyaw Win |
| 11 | Ministry of Industry | H.E. Khin Maung Cho |
| 12 | Ministry of Health | H.E. Dr Myint Htwe |
| 13 | Ministry of Construction | H.E. Win Khine |
| 14 | Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement | H.E. Dr Win Myat Aye |
| 16 | Ministry of Hotels and Tourism | H.E. Ohn Maung |
| 17 | Ministry of Commerce | H.E. Dr Than Myint |
| 18 | Ministry of Information | H.E. Dr Pe Myint |
| 19 | Ministry of Ethnic Affairs | H.E. Naing Thet Lwin |
| 20 | Ministry of Home Affairs | H.E. Lit General Kyaw Swe |
| 21 | Ministry of Border Affairs | H.E. Lit General Ye Aung |
