Will Min Aung Hlaing Seize the USDP Chairmanship?

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) congress, originally slated for the first week of September, has been abruptly postponed. Party insiders say the delay stemmed from tense disputes between coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing and senior USDP leaders over top executive positions.

Observers note that the friction is not merely procedural—it reflects Min Aung Hlaing’s broader push to dominate the party machinery. The looming question is whether he intends to take the chairmanship himself, and if so, whether constitutional barriers stand in the way.

Min Aung Hlaing, the ambitious former commander‑in‑chief, did not run in the election and is not formally a USDP member. He secured the presidency in April 2026 through a USDP vote in parliament.

Analysts argue that to sustain his presidency into the next term, Min Aung Hlaing needs a party base. The USDP, long the military’s proxy, is the natural vehicle. So, the question arises: will he seize the chairmanship, or rule through loyal surrogates?

Since the regime’s 2023 dissolution of the widely popular National League for Democracy, which the military removed from power in a 2021 coup, Myanmar’s electoral landscape has essentially become a one-horse race dominated by the USDP. The party has positioned itself as the ruling force for the foreseeable future. Min Aung Hlaing has claimed that he may need 10 to 15 years to implement what he calls his reforms—a statement interpreted as meaning he intends to rule for at least two terms.

Chairman, President Min Aung Hlaing?

Myanmar junta chief-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing arrives to attend his swearing-in ceremony at the Union Parliament in Naypyitaw on April 10, 2026. / AFP