President Win Myint has been sworn in as Myanmar's new president, raising hopes that with him at the helm government administration will be strengthened and revitalised.
"Policy won't change, but his election promises a new era of accelerated economic and political reform under the NLD [National League for Democracy] government," an independent Myanmar analyst, Thet Aung Min Latt, told the Bangkok Post.
Win Myint overwhelmingly won the presidential election on Wednesday. At a joint sitting of the Lower and Upper houses including the military MPs -- serving soldiers, nominated by the commander in chief and who make up a quarter of the parliamentarians -- Win Myint received 403 of the 636 votes, defeating his rivals the other two vice-presidents, Myint Swe and Henry Van Thio, with 211 and 18 ballots respectively.
The former speaker of the Lower House takes office exactly two years since the retiring president, Htin Kyaw, was sworn in and the new NLD government took office, after its overwhelming electoral victory in November 2015.
Under the State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is effectively the government leader, the previous president was a titular head and largely ceremonial. He presided over ceremonies, received diplomats, and approved orders and instructions, though he did often travel abroad representing Myanmar in Ms Suu Kyi's place.
Although President Htin Kyaw's resignation -- for reasons of health -- took everyone by surprise when it was announced two weeks ago, it was in fact planned for months, according to government insiders.
Ms Suu Kyi's decision to allow Htin Kyaw to stand down -- something he has been trying to do for over a year, according to sources close to the president and his family -- seems to have been prompted in part by the political play between the army and the NLD. This also accounts for the secrecy surrounding the replacement process, according to senior sources in the NLD.
And that issue -- relations with the under the current power-sharing arrangement -- is something the new president will have be proactive in dealing with, according to many Myanmar analysts and commentators. On the face of it Win Myint is not in the military's good books.
"Win Myint is seen as being antagonistic towards the army," a former senior military officer told the Bangkok Post. "In fact the military would have favoured either of the other two candidates for president," he added. In fact all the military MPs voted for the former army general Myint Swe -- the military's nomination as vice president in the previous presidential poll.
Developing good relations with Myanmar's military leaders is going to be crucial for Win Myint, if the country's fragile political stability is to be maintained, according to many Asia diplomats. But some Myanmar analysts believe there are reasons to be sanguine.
"Win Myint could reduce the confrontation with Myanmar military and the party and parliamentarians," according to Thet Aung Min Latt of the Diamond Intelligence company. "When the NLD MPs raised questions about the military's businesses in parliament, Win Myint [as speaker] stopped the question being discussed."
But Myanmar analysts and commentators are unanimous in believing the 66-year-old Win Myint is going to be a more active president than his immediate predecessor.
"From back stage to front stage -- no doubt Win Myint will take a more proactive role as president given his experience as a politician and a hands-on administrator," said Christopher Tun, head of the consultancy firm, Tun Asia group.
The new president's political credentials and legal training are impressive. He has been a political activist and member of the NLD since 1989 and has been jailed for his political activities on several occasions. Born near Yangon in the Ayeyarwady Region in 1951, he graduated from the University of Yangon with a degree in geology, before studying law in the 1980s.
He became a High Court advocate in 1985 at the age of 34, before being jailed for his role in the 1988 uprising -- the months-long mass pro-democracy demonstrations which brought an end to General Ne Win's authoritarian regime.
He was released in time for the 1990 elections, which the NLD convincingly won, but which the military junta refused to honour. He is one of the longest serving MPs in the current parliament, having also been elected in the 2012 bye-elections and again in the NLD's landslide victory in 2015.
Many Myanmar businessmen hope that Win Myint's addition to Ms Suu Kyi's administrative team will bring much-needed bite, energy and coordination to government administration.
"The president should take care of the government bureaucracy and operations, while ASSK [Su Kyi] is busy with the Rakhine issue and international relationships," said Zaw Naing, an entrepreneur and head of Mandalay Technologies.
What is clear from government insiders is that Win Myint will take a more active role in the government's administration, providing leadership along side Ms Suu Kyi. Many expect him to play a crucial role in the government's efforts to resolve the problems in the country's strife-torn western region of Rakhine and help the national reconciliation process. "He's likely to work on the Rakhine issue with Daw Aung San Su Kyi," said Thet Aung Min Latt.
"Win Myint should also have substantial influence on ministers and the way he ran the parliament is great: In him I can see leadership skills and strong decision-making, which is currently lacking at present in most of the cabinet."
But as this is the halfway mark in the government's tenure, Ms Suu Kyi and the NLD will also need to start planning for the next elections in 2020. This inevitably is going to dominate their thinking and actions in the coming year. It will certainly mould their priorities and strategy for the coming three years.
"The NLD strategy has to change -- from the waiting game of Daw Suu to get into the Presidential Palace, to an active game of consolidating 'real' power and extending it beyond 2020," Mr Tun told the Bangkok Post.
In short he said: "economy, economy, economy". This he believes should be the strength of a democratically elected civilian government, compared to the previous military regimes. "While the Rakhine issue and peace process are critical, an inclusive economy should be a game changer in some sense, as it can help achieve a sustainable future," he said.
But boosting Myanmar's economic growth will be no easy task -- especially in the face of Western investors hesitancy and suspicion. Although many Myanmar businessmen, intellectuals and urban professionals are complaining bitterly about the government's economic performance, the country's economic fundamentals actually appear sound -- it is the fastest growing economy in Asean, direct foreign investment in the last twelve months is well above projections, the trade imbalance has been dramatically reduced, inflation is under control and the local currency is actually appreciating.
The government though needs to improve the country's economic performance. And what is needed is stronger government leadership, with an articulate vision and strategy. Ms Suu Kyi needs to broaden and streamline the government's decision-making processes. She needs to make the necessary cabinet changes so that it can more effectively formulate and implement government policy and plans that can make the promised "democracy dividend" a reality.
Larry Jagan is a specialist on Myanmar and a former BBC World Service News editor for the region.
