U Htin Kyaw of ruling party elected as president of Myanmar

Representatives attend a session at the Union Parliament in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, March 15, 2016. U Htin Kyaw of Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the presidential election Tuesday with the highest number of votes through secret voting, becoming the country's new president for the next five-year term. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, March 15  -- U Htin Kyaw from Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the presidential election Tuesday through a secret ballot, thus becoming the country's new president for the next five-year term.

U Htin Kyaw won against the two other presidential candidates -- U Myint Swe nominated by the military and U Henry Van Htee Yu by the NLD, by a vote of 360:213:79 out of 652 MPs who cast their votes in the Union Parliament, chaired by Speaker U Mann Win Khaing Than.

U Htin Kyaw becomes the second president of Myanmar after the military returned power to the civilian in 2011.

U Htin Kyaw, a non-parliament representative, is also a non-military civilian president.

As per the voting result, U Myint Swe becomes the first vice president, while U Henry Van Htee Yu becomes the second vice president.

The elected president and two vice presidents are expected to be sworn in at the parliament on March 30, while the handover of duties of head of state is expected to take place at the Presidential Palace on the next day.

The Myanmar parliament set three groups representing the two Houses and military MPs to nominate one candidate each for the presidential race and through voting, the one that wins the most number of votes takes the presidency while the remaining two become vice presidents.

The Union Parliament comprising two Houses is shared by NLD with 390 MPs or 59.36 percent, USDP with 41 or 6.24 percent, other parties and individuals with 60 or 9.132 percent and military representatives with 166 or 25.26 percent.