Myanmar juna schedules constitutional referendum for 2008

THE STRAITS TIMES

Feb 9, 2008
Myanmar junta schedules constitutional referendum for 2008
YANGON - MYANMAR'S military government announced on Saturday that it will hold a constitutional referendum in May 2008 and a general election in 2010. The announcement, made on the evening news on state radio and television, marked the first time the ruling junta has set specific dates to carry out stages of what it calls a road map to democracy. Guidelines for a new constitution were adopted last year, and a government-appointed commission is now drafting the document. Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962 and has not had a constitution since 1988, when the military violently suppressed mass pro-democracy demonstrations. The country's last election was held in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power to the winner, the National League for Democracy party of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi's party 'surprised' by junta's promise of elections Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party was 'surprised' by the announcement of plans for a constitutional referendum and then democratic polls in Myanmar, saying it was 'still early to talk about an election'. 'I am surprised that they set a date for an election,' said Mr Nyan Win, spokesman for the National League for Democracy (NLD). He said that it was premature to plan for national elections when no one has seen the final version of Myanmar's proposed constitution, which the junta announced would be brought to voters for approval in May. 'We have to see the results of the referendum on the constitution. How can they know if it will be a success? It is still early to talk about an election.' -- AP, AFP