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People view voting rolls at a polling
booth during the national constitutional referendum in Hlegu township, 48
kilometers north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10, 2008. Myanmar held
nationwide referendum on a draft constitution Saturday with people across
country starting to cast votes on the charter except in declared
cyclone-hit regions. (Xinhua Photo)
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YANGON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's constitutional
referendum started from early Saturday morning ended late afternoon after
polling booths were closed for vote counting at 04:00 p.m. local time (0930
GMT).
According to official media, the event, which took
place smoothly and peacefully, was actively participated by the voters.
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A man votes at a polling booth during
the national constitutional referendum in Hlegu township, 48 kilometers
north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)
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The ballot papers were sealed and be submitted
level-wise up to the Commission for Holding Nationwide Referendum for further
declaration of the result, expected by May 24 when referendum also finishes in
still-declared cyclone-hit area.
The referendum on the draft constitution was held
nationwide as scheduled on the day except in areas still declared as cyclone-hit
regions which are made up of 40 townships in Yangon division out of 45 and 7
townships out of 26 in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division.
Yangon division's 40 townships represent the
municipal areas of the Yangon city and ballot casting in these areas is put off
to a fortnight later on May 24 along with the 7 townships of the Ayeyawaddy
division.
Saturday's cross-country polling covered five remote
townships in the Yangon division including Htantabin, Hlegu, Hmawby, Taikkyiand
Cocokyun, and 19 townships in the Ayeyawaddy division where the situation has
been claimed to have returned to normalcy after disaster.
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 about7 million, while Ayeyawaddy about 6 million.
The draft constitution has prescribed that it 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 referendum on the new constitution draft constitutes a part of the military government's seven-step roadmap announced in 2003.The next step is to hold a multi-party democracy general election to be held in 2010 to produce parliament representatives to hand over power to a democratically elected civil government.
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A woman votes at a polling booth during
the national constitutional referendum in Hlegu township, 48 kilometers
north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
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Voters register at a polling booth in
Hlegu township, 48 kilometers north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10, 2008.
(Xinhua Photo)
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Voters walks into a polling booth in
Hlegu township, 48 kilometers north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10, 2008.
(Xinhua Photo)
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Voters wait to vote at a polling booth
in Hlegu township, 48 kilometers north of Yangon, Myanmar, on May 10,
2008. (Xinhua Photo)
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Gallery>>> |
