YANGON  -- A nationwide referendum on a draft constitution will be held in Myanmar on Saturday as scheduled, with people across the country set to go to poll, except those residing in the declared natural-disaster-hit regions.

People get water out of a pond to use it at a village after Cyclone Nargis hit the village in Yangon May 9, 2008. [Agencies]

As 40 townships in Yangon division and 7 in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division are under declared natural-disaster-hit regions status, ballot casting in these areas is postponed to a fortnight later on May 24.

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 constitutional 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 at 4 p.m. (local time), 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 the 54-member State Constitution Drafting Commission in accordance with the detailed basic principles laid down by the National Convention.

The National 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.

Meanwhile, relief and resettlement work is underway in cyclone- hit areas and international relief aid is also coming in.