Generals Expected to Dominate Myanmar’s Post-Election ‘Civilian’ Cabinet

After nearly five years of direct military rule, Myanmar is heading toward a new government that will be civilian, but in name only. After the junta’s planned election in December and January, a cabinet dominated by generals is expected to emerge by March.

The regime’s election commission has scheduled voting in three phases: the first at the end of December, followed by two more rounds in January. Parliament will convene in February, clearing the way for junta chief Min Aung Hlaing to unveil a hand‑picked cabinet by late March.

Speculation is rife that Min Aung Hlaing himself will assume the presidency. Observers note that the new cabinet will be dominated by generals who have recently shed their uniforms to contest the polls and retired generals from the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is contesting with the largest number of candidates—ensuring the new government is stacked with military loyalists and party stalwarts. Most importantly, it’s Min Aung Hlaing who will decide who’s who in his new government.