Burma elects first civilian president since the 1960s

Burma has elected its first civilian president after more than 50 years of military rule.

The country's parliament elected Htin Kyaw - a close friend and confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi - after receiving 360 of the 652 votes cast.

Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy to a landslide victory in November 2015, but rules put in place by the military junta mean she can't hold the presidency.

She vowed to run the country by proxy and the NLD nominated Mr Kyaw, 70, for the role.

Kyaw is among three final candidates whose names appeared on the ballot.

It's expected he will take office on 1 April.

Given the policy-makers lack of experience with voting, the parliament speaker opened the session by explaining how to vote.

"On the ballot paper, there are three names. If you support one of the names, you tick it - or if you object cross it out," speaker Mann Win Khaing Than said.

"That's how you have to vote. And then put it in the ballot box."