Myanmar'sPresident Htin Kyaw, one of the most loyal allies of the country's leader AungSan Suu Kyi, has resigned due to ill health, the government said Wednesday.

Htin Kyaw, 71,was sworn in as Myanmar's official president in 2016 after Suu Kyi's NationalLeague for Democracy (NLD) party won landmark elections.

During his twoyears in office he's essentially acted as a proxy for Suu Kyi, who isconstitutionally barred from holding the presidency because her children areforeign nationals. A new position, State Counselor, was created to enable thelong-time opposition politician to take a leading role in government.

Htin Kyaw'sresignation comes as international pressure increases on Nobel Laureate Suu Kyito do something to ease the suffering of the country's minority Rohingyapopulation.

Almost 700,000of the Muslim ethnic minority have crossed the Bangladesh border in the lastsix months, fleeing what the UN has described as a "textbook example ofethnic cleansing" by Myanmar troops.

The Myanmarmilitary, which shares power with Suu Kyi, has denied the allegations, blamingthe violence on members of the Rohingya militant group Arakan RohingyaSalvation Army (ASRA).

A close friendand confidante of Suu Kyi, Htin Kyaw served as an executive officer for the DawKhin Kyi Foundation, a charitable organization named after Suu Kyi's latemother. His father-in-law was also active in the establishment of the NLD.

He was one of ahandful of people allowed to visit her while she was under house arrest,studied alongside her in England, and was close to her husband.

The economicsgraduate was elected in 1990 as a parliament executive of the NLD, and assumedthe role of president after the party swept national elections, taking around80% of the available seats, in November 2015.

Htin Kyaw waselected to the position of President by 360 votes, more than a third of theparliament's available 652 votes.

(Published by CNN, March 21, 2018)