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Myanmar Parliament advances date for nominating president

Myanmar Parliament advances date for nominating president

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (centre) walks along with lawmakers of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to attend the inauguration session of Union Parliament, on Monday, February 8, 2016, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Photo: AP

YANGON: Myanmar's Parliament has advanced to next week the deadline for nominating the next president, who is virtually certain to be from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. The deadline set Tuesday means the upper and lower houses of Parliament and the military bloc that holds a constitutionally mandated 25 percent of seats will now nominate their candidates by March 10. After its landslide election victory in November, the NLD commands majorities in both chambers, so it will get to nominate two candidates. Suu Kyi cannot be president because the constitution bars anyone with a foreign spouse or children from holding the executive office.