Constitutional referendum ends in Myanmar

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.

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.