Here is the news.

Sunday February 10, 04:53 AM
Myanmar junta to hold elections in 2010

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on Saturday it would hold a referendum on a new constitution in May followed by multi-party elections in 2010, a move dismissed as worthless by the opposition without the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We have achieved success in economic, social and other sectors and in restoring peace and stability," the junta announced on state television after sending in the army to quell Buddhist monk-led pro-democracy demonstrations in September.

"So multi-party, democratic elections will be held in 2010," said the statement issued in the name of Secretary Number One Lieutenant-General Tin Aung Myint Oo, a top member of the junta.

The elections would be the first since 1990, when Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won multi-party elections in the former Burma.

The military, which has ruled the country since 1962, ignored the result, crushing pro-democracy demonstrations at the cost of several thousand lives.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi has spent much of the time since then in detention.

A spokesman for the Burmese government in exile, which includes MPs elected in 1990 but who fled after the junta refused to let the election result stand, said the announcement would mean nothing unless Suu Kyi was released and took part.

"Without the participation of Suu Kyi, the NLD and ethnic parties the people will not accept this constitution," said Zin Linn.

Saturday's announcement from the junta did not make clear whether the NLD would be allowed to take part, but the constitution is believed likely to disbar Suu Kyi from office by ruling out anyone married to a foreigner, as she was, and to ensure the top leadership comes from the military.

Suu Kyi's husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in March 1999.

"In accord with the fourth step of the seven-step roadmap to democracy, a nationwide referendum will be held in May 2008 to ratify the newly drafted constitution," the junta statement said.

The new constitution, now being drafted after the completion of a national convention first convened in the 1990s, will be finished soon, the statement added.

The NLD has refused to take part in the convention.
The government announced the seven-step roadmap in 2003 but had refused to set a firm timetable until now. Some Western powers dismissed the roadmap as little more than a sham to allow the junta to retain power.

(Additional reporting by Darren Schuettler; Writing by Michael Battye; Editing by Jon Boyle)

END OF THE NEWS.<br><br>Post edited by: thunderbolts, at: 2008/02/10 13:25

Thats clear.
If we like their new const. we can vote yes, if we don't, we'll say no!. And in election too, like the one we did in 1990.
Shall we expect honesty and guts from a person like Than Shwe? To be honest with you, people had bad experience from him about election.

Myanmar to hold national referendum in May and general election in 2010

YANGON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold national referendum on draft of the State Constitution in May this year and a general election in 2010, state-run Myanmar Radio reported in a night broadcast Saturday.

Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) issued Saturday two declarations on holding of a national referendum on draft of the State Constitution and a general election to produce parliament representatives, according to official report.

Myanmar's National Convention to work out detailed basic principles for drawing up a new state constitution began in 1993 and successfully completed in 2007, the declaration No. 1 said.

The convention has adopted detailed basic principles for the new State Constitution, and Myanmar's State Constitution Drafting Commission is drafting the new State Constitution to be approved by the referendum, said the SPDC's declaration.

It was participated by over 1,000 delegates from eight categories of delegate groups including national races and turned-in former anti-government ethnic armed groups.

In order to transfer the state power from military government to civil government, a multi-party general election will be held in 2010 in accordance with the new State Constitution, said the SPDC's declaration No. 2.

The state constitution drafting commission was formed on Oct. 18, 2007 and started work in December as the third step of the road map to undertake the drafting of a new state constitution in line with the roadmap.

According to the government's roadmap announced in August 2003,the new constitution draft is to be endorsed through a national referendum, then a new general election will follow to produce parliament representatives and form a new democratic government.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Shwe Kyi ( Kyee)

What you think does not matter. Take it or leave it. There is heaven and there is hell. you can go to which ever you want Either to heaven or to hell. That is your choice, that is your right.

This constitution and these election are for Myanmar and the people of Myanmar, not necessarily for you alone.

But you are not alone to oppose it there may be some others as well. In every nation they are the same.

Just because you and some others do not approve itor do not like it everything has to be stopped? You must be mad.

That is why, it will be taken to the people in Myanmar. for referendum. That is democracy, isn't it? But you have made your point, that is you are exercising your right. Will you let others exercise their rights as well, will you?

What happens next is up to the people.

Don't worry too much, or you will die of heart attack before the referendum or before elections. That will be a great lost for the nation.

Stay alive Okey?

Thunderbolts.

thunderboats,

you are nothing but a waste on this planet. Living, walking old worn out grumpy delusioned mono psychic paranoid pathetic jerk. You need to check with mental docs for your brain is so polluted with deceptional dogmatic doctrines feed by murderers and criminal organized thugs who promote themselves as &quot;ministers&quot; or &quot;government&quot; (elected by bullets) against the wishes of the people of Burma.