April 3 (Reuters): Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing faces ​a parliamentary vote on Friday on his bid to become the country's president, as he seeks to formalise his on political power five years after his coup against an elected government.

His expected transition from top general to civilian president follows a recent lopsided election won overwhelmingly by an army-backed party, which critics and Western governments derided as a sham to perpetuate military rule behind a veneer of democracy.

The 69-year-old ​general orchestrated the 2021 coup that forced out the government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi ​and placed her under arrest, sparking widespread protests that morphed into nationwide armed resistance against the junta.

Lawmakers ⁠from the Union Solidarity and Development Party, which won 81% of available seats, are expected to join the military's quota of appointed ​legislators in backing former commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing from three candidates nominated, with parliament proceedings starting at 10 a.m. local time (0330 ​GMT).

Photo from Reuters