Myanmar’s military leader declared himself prime minister yesterday, six months after seizing power from the elected government.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said he would lead the country under the extended state of emergency until elections are held in about two years.

“We must create conditions to hold a free and fair multi-party general election,” Min Aung Hlaing said during a recorded televised address. “We have to make preparations. I pledge to hold the multi-party general election without fail.”

He said the state of emergency would achieve its objectives by August 2023. In a separate announcement, the military government named itself “the caretaker government” and Min Aung Hlaing the prime minister.

The state of emergency was declared when troops moved against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, an action the generals said was permitted under the military-authored 2008 constitution.

The military claimed her landslide victory in last year’s national elections was achieved through massive voter fraud but offered no credible evidence.

The military government officially annulled the results last Tuesday and appointed a new election commission to take charge of the polls.

The military takeover was met by massive public protests that has resulted in a lethal crackdown by security forces who routinely fire live ammunition into crowds.

As of yesterday, 939 people have been killed by the authorities since February 1, according to a tally kept by the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Casualties are also rising among the military and police as armed resistance grows.

Moves by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to broker a dialogue between the military government and its opponents have stalled after an agreement at an April summit in Jakarta to appoint a special envoy for Myanmar.

Min Aung Hlaing said that among the three nominees, Thailand’s former Deputy Foreign Minister Virasakdi Futrakul was selected as the envoy. “But for various reasons, new proposals were released and we could not keep moving onwards.

"I would like to say that Myanmar is ready to work on ASEAN cooperation within the ASEAN framework, including the dialogue with the ASEAN special envoy in Myanmar,” he said.

Myanmar is also struggling with its worst Covid-19 outbreak which has overwhelmed its already crippled health care system. Limitations on oxygen sales have led to widespread allegations that the military is directing supplies to government supporters and military-run hospitals.

Min Aung Hlaing blamed the public’s mistrust in the military’s efforts to control the outbreak on “fake news and misinformation via social networks” and accused those behind it of using Covid-19 “as a tool of bioterrorism”.