By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar

 Once enemies, now seeming allies.

A powerful member of Myanmar’s former dictatorship that for 15 years placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest has pledged to cooperate with her government and the president that many see as her proxy.

On Wednesday, the office of the country's commander-in-chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, announced in a statement that the military would “maintain cooperation with the incoming government in every sector."

That would be "for the country’s stability, unity and development,” he added.

Min Aung Hlaing went on to congratulate President-elect Htin Kyaw -- a non-MP confidant of Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi -- who was voted to the office by lawmakers Tuesday, and many see as carefully chosen by the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader.

Suu Kyi has said she will rule the country from "above the president," as she is blocked from the top post by the military-drafted constitution despite her party having won November’s election by a landslide.

Later Wednesday, the NLD welcomed the statement by Min Aung Hlaing’s office, but with some reservation.

“We welcome the announcement, but are afraid it might just be an announcement,” central executive committee member Myo Aung told Anadolu Agency.

He expressed hope that while it appeared “too difficult to work with the military”, party members “believe we can work together for sake of the country”.

Following the NLD’s victory in the Nov. 8 polls, Suu Kyi held talks with Min Aung Hlaing over the possible suspension or amendment of the articles barring her from presidency – but the meetings did not yield a positive result.

Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for most of the period between 1989 and 2010 for leading pro-democracy activists against the former military junta.

She was released in 2010 before the country began a series of sweeping democratic reforms, including the freeing of hundreds of political prisoners and relaxing media censorship.