Than Shwe says Suu Kyi is future leader

Than Shwe, a postal clerk turned general who ran the country with an iron fist for nearly two dec-ades until 2010, met with democracy champion Suu Kyi on Friday. Her party is preparing to assume power after November’s massive election win.

Dramatic change 

The talks mark a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest for years by the 82-year-old retired general for leading the democracy movement against his army.

“Everyone has to accept the truth that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be the future leader of Myanmar after winning the elections,” Than Shwe was quoted as saying on a Facebook post late Saturday by his grandson, Nay Shwe Thway Aung.

“I will support her earnestly as much as I can if she really works for the development of the country,” he added, according to the post.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, 70, is barred from the presidency by an army-scripted constitution, but has said she will govern from “above the president” when her party take their seats in the new year.