Hla Moe Aung, the secretary of Irrawaddy’s Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation and Natural Resources Committee, has been appointed the region’s new chief minister.
An elected National League for Democracy MP representing Constituency No. 1 of Myan Aung Township in Irrawaddy Region, the 53-year-old told DVB earlier today that the news of his appointment came as a complete surprise.
“I did not expect to be appointed chief minister,” he said. “If anything, I thought I might one day become a minister for agriculture, since I am one of only two lawmakers in the regional parliament with a degree in agriculture.”
Hla Moe Aung said that he would commit his term as chief minister to the economic development of Irrawaddy region and advancement in the agricultural sector through the use of modern technology.
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Hla Moe Aung replaces former chief minister Mahn Johnny, who tendered his resignation earlier this month, reportedly for health reasons. President Htin Kyaw accepted his resignation in an official announcement dated 9 January that said he had been “permitted to resign of his own volition.”
The appointment also comes just two weeks after Irrawaddy’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Ba Hein resigned, also citing ill health.
