Post: | Prime Minister |
Body: | Myanmar |
Insignia: | State seal of Myanmar.svg |
Insigniasize: | 125px |
Insigniacaption: | State Seal of Myanmar |
Incumbentsince: | 1 August 2021 |
Type: | Head of government |
Member Of: | Cabinet |
Residence: | Presidential Palace[1] |
Seat: | Naypyidaw |
Appointer: | State Administration Council[2] |
Termlength: | No fixed term |
Constituting Instrument: | SAC Order No 152/2021 |
Precursor: | Premier of British Crown Colony of Burma |
Formation: |
|
Abolished: | (first) |
First: | U Nu |
Deputy: | Deputy Prime Minister |
Reports To: | State Administration Council |
The prime minister of Myanmar is the head of government of Myanmar. The post was re-established in 2021 by the State Administration Council (SAC), the country's ruling military junta, to lead its nominally-civilian provisional government. The provisional government is subject to the decision-making of the SAC; additionally, there is significant overlap in the membership of both bodies. There is no provision for a prime minister in the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, with the president being the constitutional head of government. The current prime minister is Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the leader of the junta and the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.[3] The post had been used by previous military governments, as recently as 2011.
The position of Prime Minister was created in 1948, with the adoption of the Burmese Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom. Since then, eleven people have held the office (with two of them doing so on multiple occasions). Due to the country's long period of military rule, it has not been uncommon for the prime minister to be a serving (or recently retired) military officer.
The actual power of the prime minister has considerably varied over time, differing based on who holds the office. In 2004, a power struggle between the then–head of state, Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, and his prime minister, General Khin Nyunt, led to his dismissal and arrest.
The position was abolished on 30 March 2011, according to the current Constitution (adopted in 2008). It provided that the president is both the head of state and head of government. But after the 2015 general election, as Aung San Suu Kyi was constitutionally barred from becoming President, an office named State Counsellor, functionally identical to that of Prime Minister, was established for her on 6 April 2016.
On 1 August 2021, State Administration Council formed the caretaker government and chairman of SAC became Prime Minister.[4] [5]
See also: List of prime ministers of Myanmar.