Min Aung Hlaing nominated VP in bid to become president
The Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, proposed regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Kyaw Swe, a lawmaker from the pro-regime National Unity Party (NUP) representing Magway Region’s Taungdwingyi Township, as its two vice-presidential nominees during a parliamentary session in Naypyidaw on Monday.
The Amyotha Hluttaw, or upper house of parliament, nominated Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) Chairperson Manam Tuja and Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmaker Nan Ni Ni Aye as its two vice-presidential candidates. The 166 military-appointed lawmakers have yet to select their own candidate. The three groups of lawmakers are required to elect one vice-president each by March 31.
A four-member body comprising the speakers and deputy speakers of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Burma’s bicameral legislature, and lawmakers from the lower house, the upper house, and the military – which is allotted 25 per cent of all seats in both levels of parliament under the 2008 Constitution – will assess whether the three final vice-presidential nominees meet the constitutional criteria.
Under the 2008 constitution, presidents and vice-presidents must be at least 45 years of age, and “well-acquainted with politics, the economy, governance, and defence.” They and their parents must be Burma nationals. They, as well as their spouses, children, and children-in-law, must not hold any other nationality, or be “beneficiaries” of a foreign government.
If all vice-presidential nominees meet the constitutional criteria, all 586 lawmakers in Burma’s legislature will vote to elect the country’s next president from among them with the two others becoming Burma’s vice presidents. Under the constitution, no individual can hold both civilian and military leadership positions.
Sources close to the military told DVB that Min Aung Hlaing appointed Ye Win Oo, Chief of the Burma Army, as his replacement as commander-in-chief of the military. Kyaw Swar Lin, the Chief of the General Staff, was selected as his deputy at a ceremony in Naypyidaw on March 30. Read more
Read our latest DVB English News op-ed by Khin Ohmar: ASEAN must not legitimize Myanmar’s post-sham election government.
Black market fuel prices double in Naypyidaw
Residents in the capital Naypyidaw told DVB that fuel prices on the black market are roughly double the regime’s reference rate. One litre of 92-octane gasoline rose from 3,610-4,450 to MMK ($0.80-1.05 USD) with 95-octane gasoline up from 3,850-4,975 to MMK ($0.90-1.1 USD). Diesel rose from 4,390-5,450 MMK ($1-1.2 USD) with premium diesel going up 4,820-6,085 MMK ($1.1-1.4 USD) March 25-30, according to the regime-controlled Petroleum Products Regulatory Department.
A Naypyidaw resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that he stopped using his motorcycle for a week due to the rising fuel prices. Vehicle owners in Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and the Shan State capital Taunggyi told DVB that the regime’s Ministry of Energy quick response (QR) code for drivers to purchase petrol, which took effect on March 12, has turned many to the black market to make fuel purchases.
Regime media reported on March 29 that the ministry warned 30 fuel stations nationwide that failed to follow its QR code system since March 12. It has suspended the licence of the Sein Si Aung fuel station on the Yangon-Mandalay highway road for an undisclosed reason. The regime’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) restricted vehicle owners from purchasing fuel from once every 24 hours to once or twice a week depending on the vehicle’s engine power on March 22.
News by Region
CHIN—At least four residents of Kyaunchaung village in Paletwa Township were killed by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Sunday, residents told DVB. Paletwa, located 287 miles (461 km) south of the state capital Hakha, was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in January 2024.
A resident told DVB that Kyaunchaung village is an important hub for trade from India’s Mizoram State into Arakan due to its location along the Kaladan River. Arakan residents rely on imports from India via Paletwa, since a military land and sea blockade began after the AA launched its November 2023 offensive.
YANGON—Workers and labor rights activists told DVB that they want management at factories in Hlaingthaya and Shwepyitha townships to review working hours due to enforced military conscription. Workers told DVB that they feel unsafe leaving work late night after their shifts end.
At least 40 people were arrested and forcefully conscripted into the military in the first two weeks of March, according to the Rangoon Scout Network. The regime enforced its conscription law on Feb. 10, 2024, which stipulates all men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27 must serve at least two years.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,355 MMK)
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