Arakan News Agency
Myanmar’s army chief said on Monday that his country’s army “will remain an influential political force with an important role to bring about prosperity,” although the country’s first elected civilian government took office last year.
This came in a speech delivered by Min Aung Hlaing during the annual parade of the armed forces in the capital, Naypidaw, with the participation of more than 10,000 troops, in order to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the armed forces.
He added that “the army still maintains its leading role in national policy, given its historical position on the one hand, and the major challenges facing the security and stability of the country on the other hand.”
The military government ran the Southeast Asian country for more than 50 years, before giving up power in 2011 and setting up a semi-civilian government.
The National Democratic League (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi (Nobel Peace Prize laureate), won 390 seats in Myanmar’s 664-seat parliament in the election.
While the Solidarity and Development Party, which ruled the country with the backing of the army, had only 42 seats.
Myanmar’s new president, Htin Kyaw, was sworn in before parliament in the capital Naypidaw.
