Myint Swe, who became Myanmar’s acting president under controversial circumstances after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi more than four years ago, died on Thursday,

A figurehead leader, he had little real power but did endorse measures that allowed the country’s generals to extend their rule after a 2021 coup.

In many nations, a leader’s health—or absence—can unsettle the political order. That’s exactly what happened in Myanmar. Now, after years at the center of a military-dominated regime, the country faces another turn.