Backgrounder: Fundamental facts on Myanmar draft constitution
YANGON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide referendum on a draft constitution commenced in Myanmar on Saturday morning as scheduled with people across the country starting to go to poll to cast votes on the charter.
The referendum is being held across the country
except areas still declared as natural-disaster-hit regions.
As 40 townships in Yangon division out of 45 and 7
townships out of 26 in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division are under such
status, ballot casting in these areas is postponed to a fortnight later on May
24.
There remains only five remote townships in the
division -- Htantabin, Hlegu, Hmawby, Taikkyi and Cocokyun, and 19 townships in
the Ayeyawaddy division where polling is taking place as in the whole country.
According to official estimation, there is a total
population of 57 million in the whole of Myanmar with up-to-age population or
eligible voters accounting for about 27 million.
Of the country's 57 million population, Yangon
represents 7 million, while Ayeyawaddy 6 million.
According to the referendum law, it allows free and
secret casting of votes on the draft constitution and open counting of the votes
to ensure the referendum be free and fair.
The polling booths are set to close in late afternoon
at 4 p.m.(0930 GMT) after which ballot counting will be done.
According to the draft constitution, the constitution
draft can be ratified with the majority votes-in-favor out of the votes cast by
over 50 percent of eligible voters.
The 194-page 15-chapter 2008 Republic of Union of
Myanmar Constitution was drafted by a 54-member State Constitution Drafting
Commission in accordance with the detailed basic principles laid down by the
National Convention.
The convention originally started in 1993 but first
adjourned for eight years from April 1, 1996 to May 16, 2004 and formally
resumed on May 17, 2004.
The referendum on the new constitution draft
constitutes part of the military government's seven-step roadmap announced in
2003.The next step is to hold a multi-party democracy general election in 2010
to produce parliament representatives to hand over power to a democratically
elected civil government.
Myanmar welcomes int'l assistance for cyclone victims JAKARTA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government has made it clear that it welcomes other countries' efforts to extend humanitarian assistance for the victims of Cyclone Nargis which hit the country last week, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said.
Myanmar's attitude was expressed by its foreign minister, U Nyan Win, to his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajudha, by telephone, Antara news agency quoted the ministry's spokesman, Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo, as saying on Friday. Full story
Official: Myanmar accepts U.S. humanitarian aid
YANGON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has accepted an offer of the United States to send humanitarian aid to the country's cyclone victims, state radio reported Friday in a night broadcast.
Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu gave the assurance Friday to the Charge d'affaires of the United States Shari Villarosa, saying that the country is receiving such relief aid from any country without discrimination at this time according to its policy dealing with the disaster, the report said. Full story
Myanmar cyclone death toll rises to 23,335
YANGON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Myanmar's cyclone disaster rose by 338 to 23,335 from 22,997, according to a news report of the state radio Friday evening.
Altogether 37,019 people remained missing, down from 42,119, the report said, adding that the number of the injured stood 1,403. Full story
