Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) will go into next year's parliamentary election in Myanmar with no candidate for president and might even support a former general from the pro-military ruling party, NLD officials said.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 69, is barred by the constitution from becoming president and is apparently unwilling to give her blessing to an alternative candidate from within her own party.
One senior member of Suu Kyi's party said it might give its backing for Shwe Mann, speaker of parliament and chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), to be put forward for the presidency. The USDP is made up of former military officers.