Myanmar's vacant presidential post to be filled within 7 working days: president's office

YANGON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's vacant presidential post will be filled by re-election in the Union Parliament within seven working days, according to a statement of the President's Office Wednesday.

The statement was a follow-up of the earlier one which announced President U Htin Kyaw's resignation out of his own wish of taking rest.

First Vice President U Myint Swe will serve as acting president according to the constitution until the parliament re-elects the president, U Zaw Htay, director-general of the President's Office told Xinhua.

He said the resigned president recently underwent surgical operation in Singapore successfully and is enjoying good health but he insisted on his decision for the move.

The 72-year-old U Htin Kyaw was elected as president on March 30, 2016 after Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) won the 2015 general election with absolute majority votes.

Meanwhile, Speaker of Myanmar's House of Representatives (Lower House) U Win Myint will also resign as announced by the Deputy Speaker U T Khun Myat during the parliamentary session on Wednesday.

The vacant post of speaker of the House of Representatives shall first be filled within seven days before the presidential re-election, Dr. Hla Moe, parliament member from Aung Myay Thar Zan constituency, Mandalay region told Xinhua. Enditem