BANGKOK: Myanmar's parliament on Friday elected Min Aung Hlaing, a general who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021 and kept an iron grip on power for the past five years, as the country's new president.

The move marks a nominal return to an elected government but is widely considered to be an effort to keep the army in power after an election organised by the military that opponents and independent observers deemed neither free nor fair.

Min Aung Hlaing was one of three nominees for the president's post, but was virtually guaranteed the job as lawmakers from military-backed parties and appointed members from the army hold a commanding majority in parliament.

Aung Lin Dwe, speaker of parliament's combined upper and lower house, announced that Min Aung Hlaing won 429 out of the 584 votes. The two runners-up became vice presidents.

Min Aung Hlaing, who holds the rank of senior general, had earlier relinquished his post of the commander-in-chief because the constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position. A close aide, Gen. Ye Win Oo, took over the powerful job.

The 69-year-old Min Aung Hlaing had been the military chief since 2011. Under a military-imposed constitution, he held major power even before overthrowing Suu Kyi's government.

Parliament members were elected in three phases in December and January. Major opposition parties, including Suu Kyi's former ruling National League for Democracy, were either blocked from running or refused to compete under conditions they deemed unfair. Suu Kyi has been held in prison.