AP

YANGON MYANMAR’S military nominated a former general known as a political hardliner on Tuesday to be the country’s vice president.

The constitution reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for the military, even though the elected government of reformist President Thein Sein is nominally civilian.

The military has the right to name one of the country’s two vice presidents, and parliamentary approval of its nominee is a formality.

The bloc’s nominee is Myint Swe, who has been chief minister of the Yangon region, said Brigadier General Wai Lin, one of the military’s representatives in parliament.

The important Yangon post involved responsibility for the country’s biggest city and commercial centre.

The vice presidency was open because Tin Aung Myint Oo left earlier this month for health reasons.

Myint Swe, 61, graduated from the prestigious Defence Services Academy, served in the military under the longruling junta and was a general staff officer under junta leader Than Shwe.

He also was commander of the Yangon region and briefly led military affairs security.