Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to take a formal position in the new government but will instead remain in parliament and lead from there, a spokesperson for the National League for Democracy (NLD) party has said.

Aung San Suu Kyi is head of the NLD and led them to a sweeping election victory in November but a junta-drafted constitution bars her from the presidency because her two children and late husband are British.

The democracy champion, who spent 15 years under house arrest and is the daughter of the nation’s revolutionary hero, has vowed to be “above the president”, fuelling speculation over her role in the country’s first democratically elected government in more than five decades.

Zaw Myint Maung, the NLD spokesman and one of its leaders, suggested that Aung San Suu Kyi would remain party head in parliament and not serve in the government, but still rule.

“Taking positions is not that important any more ... In the United States there are many famous lawmakers in the parliament who are very influential, but they don’t take any position in the cabinet,” he said.

“It’s the same here. She will lead the [ruling] party so, she will [by extension] lead the government formed by that party,” he added.

Htin Kyaw, a loyal friend to Aung San Suu Kyi and close advisor, was elected president last week. He is expected to act as a proxy to Aung San Suu Kyi, who has not commented in detail on how she plans to run the country.

The 70-year-old was last week named chair of a “development coordination” parliamentary team, another sign that she might not take a executive branch position.

Officials in parliament and house representatives told the Myanmar Times that membership of the team excluded the possibility of a cabinet role, fuelling speculation that Suu Kyi will not join the executive.

U Ye Myo Hein, executive director of Tagaung Institute of Political Studies, told the paper that the British-educated veteran campaigner might remain out of the cabinet so she can keep influence in the party, parliament and the government.

“If she takes a position in the executive, then she will have to cut ties with her party and parliament, in which her party holds a majority. Remaining as a parliamentarian, she can influence all three spheres working with the government, her party and the parliament,” he said.

She will effectively formulate negotiations with her confidants and allow them to do the work inside U Ye Myo Hein, Tagaung Institute of Political Studies

“She will effectively formulate negotiations with her confidants and allow them to do the work inside ... while she acts as a party and parliamentarian head,” he added.

In one of her first moves as majority leader, Aung San Suu Kyi plans to downsize the incoming government by about a third, cutting out or combining ministries.

She has promised that national reconciliation will be her first priority and also created a Ministry for Ethnic Affairs, which will probably address grievances from Myanmar’s myriad ethnic minorities.

Minorities comprise about 40% of the population of 52 million people in Myanmar, which has suffered ongoing ethnic-based conflict since independence.

The changes were announced by the house speaker on Thursday and are intended to downsize the executive from 36 to 21 ministries, which the NLD says will reduce costs and help alleviate the deficit.

President elect Htin Kyaw will appoint 18 of the 21 ministers.

The army retains significant power and the military Commander-in-Chief appoints the Ministers of Defence, Home Affairs and Border Affairs from members of the defence services, or Tatmadaw.

As well as its three powerful ministries, the army also retains 25% of seats in parliament under the 2008, giving it an effective veto on constitutional change.