Myanmar’s military leader claims role of prime minister, vows to stay in power at least another 2 years

• Myanmar's military leader said he'll extend its state of emergency until August 2023.
• In a televised address, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also named himself prime minister.
• The leader vowed to hold multi-party elections before the state of emergency ends.
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Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing named himself prime minister and promised multi-party elections in a televised address on Sunday, reported Reuters, but has extended the country's state of emergency until at least August 2023.

When the junta initially took power, it declared a one-year state-of-emergency period after which a "free and fair multiparty general election" would be held. This latest announcement means Myanmar won't see nationwide elections anytime soon.

Hlaing announced the extension exactly six months after the military junta.

"I guarantee the establishment of a union based on democracy and federalism," he said. "I pledge to hold multiparty elections without fail."

The military seized power on February 1 from Myanmar's civilian party, alleging election fraud after the National League of Democracy (NLD) won the general election last November. In his address on Sunday, Min Aung Hlaing referred to the NLD as "terrorists," per Reuters.

"At present, the whole country is stable except for some terrorist attacks," Min Aung Hlaing said, referring to the pro-democracy opposition that has been striking, protesting, and taking up arms against the military junta.

Dozens of NLD lawmakers have been arrested since the coup, including its Nobel laureate leader Aung San Suu Kyi. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 900 people have been killed by state security forces, and more than 5,300 activists, politicians, and journalists have been detained since February.

Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the country would work with the incoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special envoy, who will be tasked with helping to end violence in the country and facilitating dialogue between protestors and the army.

Leaders from the ASEAN have struggled to form a collective response regarding Myanmar. In April, ASEAN foreign ministers outlined a "five-point consensus" calling for an end to violence and dialogue between all parties, but stopped short of condemning the power grab.

The country is also dealing with a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, it has reported close to 300,000 cases, with 142,000 reported in July alone.