State Counsellor of Myanmar


The State Counsellor of Myanmar is the de facto head of government of Myanmar, equivalent to a prime minister.

Background

The post was created on 6 April 2016 to allow for a greater role for Aung San Suu Kyi within the Government of Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the 2015 Myanmar general election; however she is constitutionally barred from becoming President of Myanmar as her late husband Michael Aris was British and her two children also hold British nationality.
The bill to create the post was passed by the upper house of the Assembly of the Union on 1 April 2016 and by the lower house on 5 April 2016, and signed by President Htin Kyaw on 6 April 2016.

Roles and responsibilities

The post of State Counsellor is similar to that of a Prime Minister in that it allows the holder to work across all areas of government and to act as a link between the executive and legislative branches. The State Counsellor has a term of five years, the same term as that of the President.

List of State Counsellors