By John Ikani
Myanmar’s military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has declared himself Prime Minister of the country, saying he planned on being in charge for two years during an extended state of emergency before holding elections in 2023.
The announcement came exactly six months after the army seized power February 1, from a civilian government following elections that were won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party, but that, the military said had been fraudulent.
In a speech on Sunday, Min Aung Hlaing repeated a pledge to hold elections by 2023 and said his administration was ready to work with a future regional envoy on Myanmar.
“We must create conditions to hold a free and fair multiparty general election,” he said.
“We have to make preparations. I pledge to hold the multiparty general election without fail.”
Min Aung Hlaing also said his administration would work with any special envoy named by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ASEAN foreign ministers are to meet on Monday, when diplomats say they aim to finalize a special envoy tasked with ending violence and promoting dialogue between the junta and its opponents.
In April, ASEAN announced that its member states had come to an agreement regarding Myanmar, appointing an envoy to oversee talks aimed at ending the violence in Myanmar.
However, progress on this plan has since stalled.
Min Aung Hlaing said in his address that his administration would work with any envoy that ASEAN appoints.
ASEAN foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday to finalize a special envoy for Myanmar.
