Myanmar names 1st female Cabinet minister

Yangon: A medical doctor has become the first woman appointed as a full Cabinet minister in Myanmar. President Thein Sein said on his website that Myat Myat Ohn Khin has been named minister of social welfare, relief and resettlement. She is among 11 new ministers appointed to fill posts vacated in a major Cabinet reshuffling last month. [caption id=“attachment_448310” align=“alignnone” width=“380”] File photo of supporters celebrating as election results are shown on the screen in front of Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi’s NLD head office in Yangon. Reuters[/caption] Other women in the Cabinet are deputy ministers. New ministers of defense, finance, and national planning and economic development also were named Friday. The appointments added four civilians to the government, bringing their total to one-fourth of the 36-member Cabinet that remains dominated by retired military officers. Last month’s Cabinet reshuffling was widely considered a move by Thein Sein to consolidate power after coming to office last year. AP