Myanmar's embattled junta chief takes on role of nominal president

(Reuters) -All duties of Myanmar's figurehead president have been transferred to the chief of the ruling junta, Min Aung Hlaing, after the nominal head of state was placed on medical leave following a period of prolonged illness, state television said on Monday.

Myanmar has been in engulfed in chaos since Feb. 2021 when the military led by Min Aung Hlaing ousted an elected civilian government in a coup, triggering a wave of protests that has transformed into a nationwide armed rebellion against the junta.

Although Myint Swe, 73, is only a figurehead president, the junta has depended on him to sign its decrees and provide a veneer of legitimacy to its rule, which is struggling to contain an expanding civil war and manage a crumbling economy.

"The Interim President's Office has sent a letter to State Administration Council Office notifying it to delegate the responsibilities," state television MRTV said on Monday, referring to the military-backed council chaired by Min Aung Hlaing.

Myint Swe, a former army officer who became president during the coup, is suffering from "neurological disorders", the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported last week, adding that he was unable to carry out basic activities, including eating food.

Min Aung Hlaing, 68, is in his weakest position since deposing the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi three years ago as he faces questions about his leadership following a series of battlefield defeats for the once-feared military.

(Reporting by Reuters staff, Writing by Panu Wongcha-um and Devjyot Ghoshal, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Editing by William Maclean)