Senior General Min Aung Hlaing secured at least 293 votes out of 584 cast by lawmakers in the country’s pro-military parliament on Friday, surpassing the required majority, according to ongoing vote counts reported by news agencies.

Myanmar’s coup leader has won a parliamentary vote to become the country’s president, cementing his hold on power in the war-torn nation five years after overthrowing an elected government.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing secured at least 293 votes out of 584 cast by lawmakers in the country’s pro-military parliament on Friday, surpassing the required majority, according to ongoing vote counts reported by news agencies.

The 69-year-old led the 2021 coup against the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, placing her under arrest and sparking widespread protests that later escalated into a nationwide armed resistance against military rule.

His shift from military commander to civilian president follows a heavily one-sided election held in December and January.

The vote was overwhelmingly won by the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party and widely criticized by opponents and Western governments as a sham designed to maintain military control under the appearance of democracy.

The party secured more than 80 percent of contested parliamentary seats, while unelected military representatives occupy a quarter of the legislature, reinforcing the military’s dominance.

During a live broadcast of Friday’s vote, Min Aung Hlaing crossed the required threshold, as widely expected. He had been one of three candidates nominated earlier in the week.

His rise to the presidency long seen by analysts as a key ambition comes after a major reshuffle in Myanmar’s armed forces, which he had led since 2011.

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