Myanmar's new parliament nominated on Thursday three pro-military candidates for the presidency, signalling only nominal changes ahead and no real shift away from an army-dominated status quo. The nomination of three members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the military junta's political arm, represents only a cosmetic change with paramount leader, Senior General Than Shwe, expected to continue wielding behind-the-scenes power.
Analysts say Prime Minister Thein Sein is likely to win Friday's vote and become the submissive front man in a new phase of military-managed civilian rule in the resource-rich country strategically nestled between economic powers China and India. "Than Shwe still holds all the cards and will still pull the strings. This has all been set up and there'll be no real handover of power," said Aung Thu Nyein, a Harvard-educated academic and expert on Myanmar politics. "He's a recluse. He doesn't like public appearances or giving speeches. He's always managed things from behind a curtain and he'll still be controlling everything that way."
Myanmar's political and economic allies are unlikely to disapprove of such an arrangement. China and Thailand, which are tapping Myanmar's big energy reserves, welcomed a November 7 general election swept by the USDP, despite widespread allegations of cheating.
Junta hardliner Tin Aung Myint Oo, the regime's fifth in command, is another presidential candidate along with Sai Mauk Kham, a little-known USDP politician from Shan State, a rebellious region bordering China, where voting in November was either scrapped or boycotted in many areas.
The process of choosing a president has been highly secretive. Assembly members provided the nominations to Reuters on condition of anonymity because speaking to the media carries a punishment of two years imprisonment. The two unsuccessful candidates in Friday's vote by three special committees will become vice presidents.
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