Myanmar’s junta will form a new entity to oversee both the military and civilian administration, a move experts say will allow paramount ruler Min Aung Hlaing to become president without loosening his grip on the powerful armed forces.
Its mandate is exceptionally broad, granting it control over every critical component of national security and the legislative process, said Naing Min Khant, program associate at the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar think-tank.
‘The formation of the Union Consultative Council represents a significant institutional shift, likely to create a ‘super-body’ designed to hold supreme authority above the executive, legislative, and judicial branches,’ Naing Min Khant said.